Protest in Valsad after forest dept’s notice to remove religious structure from hillock

The protesters further said that the area also has other religious structures but it was only the cross for which the notice was served. The structure, built on a seven square feet area, is situated on Sulliya hillock in Motikorad village.

On Wednesday, local residents handed over a memorandum to the Dharampur Prant officer and Deputy Collector, Amit Chaudhary, requesting that the cross be allowed to stay as religious sentiments were attached to it.

A few days ago, Dharampur Range Forest Officer (RFO), Heena Patel, issued a notice to members of a local church, who are responsible for the upkeep of the cross, asking that the structure be removed.

On Wednesday, scores of people from the Christian community of Dharampur taluka gathered at Birsa Munda chowk and took out a rally against the directions to remove the cross structure. After a 2-kilometre-long foot march, the rally culminated at the Dharampur Prant office.
The representatives, led by Kalpesh Patel, elected member of Dharampur Taluka Panchayat from the Congress, accompanied by former president of Songadh Taluka Panchayat in Tapi district, Yusuf Gamit, and a few others, handed a memorandum to Chaudhary.

The memorandum states: “The cross structure was erected on the forest land on Sulliya hillock in Motikorad village…and people from nearby villages have regularly been carrying out prayers there since 2008. The villagers had also passed a resolution at the Gram Panchayat about setting up the structure and nobody objected to it. The Sulliya hillock has become a tourist destination due to its beauty, and many people visit it regularly. There are thousands of Christian Tribals residing in the villages near Motikorad, and their religious sentiments are attached to the said structure. There are non-Christian Tribals in the area, and they don’t object to such a structure.”

The memorandum further adds, “RFO Patel had issued notice to Shravan Jamadar (caretaker) to remove the said structure, stating that it was made on reserve forest land on March 27, 2025. The Christian tribal leaders of Motikorad and nearby villages made representations to her and tried to convince her, but she did not consider them. The leaders also told her that a few other religious structures of other faiths were built on the hillock. Why are only Christians targeted? We have cordoned the area around the structure with barbed wire so nobody could enter and damage it.”

The memorandum further said, “Christians of Dharampur and neighbouring Kapradara talukas in Valsad district request that the structure should remain as it is and no demolition should be done.”

Talking to The Indian Express, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Valsad, Lokesh Bhardawaj said, “Acting on the complaint received, our teams reached the Sulliya hillock and found that the cross structure was built on reserve forest land. The villagers had encroached on forest land. Our teams have given a notice to the caretakers of the structure, asking them to remove it voluntarily. If they fail to do so, we will coordinate with the Valsad district administration officials and police officials and personally remove it.”

RFO Patel could not be contacted for comment.

Patel, who is also a Tribal Hindu leader, said, “We have handed over a memorandum to the Dharampur Prant officer putting forward the sentiments of thousands of people attached to such a structure, which was approved by the Motikorad Gram Panchayat in 2008. The said religious structure is old and none of the locals had objected to it. We don’t want the structure to be removed. To create awareness, we will carry out Gram Panchayat meetings in different villages in the coming days. There are a few other illegal structures on the Sulliya hillock, but why have they not been targeted? We will hold a dharna in the coming days over the issue.”