Outlook speaks to Pathalgadi activists, highlighting the struggles faced by Adivasis during the 2017-18 movement in Jharkhand. The activists recount their imprisonment under sedition charges imposed during protests against amendments to land tenancy laws, the financial and emotional toll on their families, and their ongoing demands for justice and compensation for the hardships they endured. The Pathalgadi movement, deeply rooted in Jharkhand's tribal tradition of erecting stone plaques to demarcate land and assert autonomy, became a symbol of defiance against policies seen as anti-tribal. The protests, centred in regions like Khunti and Chaibasa, spotlighted the implementation of the PESA Act and the demand for tribal self-governance. While the JMM government has withdrawn sedition cases, activists continue to demand justice and compensation for the enduring hardships faced by those affected.