Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha Meeting in Ranchi

The Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha (Jharkhand) organized a District level meeting in Ranchi on 27 January 2022. The meeting was presided over by Alma Khalkho, Mewa Oraon, Birsa Oraon and Mahabir Munda. Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha National Convener Devkinandan Bedia was the chief guest on the occasion. People from a large number of villages in Budhmu, Mander, Ratu, Kanke, Ormanjhi, Chano, Ranchi Sadar and other Blocks attended the meeting. The meeting began with the distribution and reading of the ‘Adhaar Patra’.

Speaking on the occasion, Devkinandan Bedia threw light on the direction, vision and struggles of the Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha. From Tilaka Manjhi to Birsa Munda’s ‘Ulgulan’, from the fight to protect Jal-Jangal-Jameen to the freedom struggle, no adivasi leader has ever compromised with anyone on ‘Apna Raj-Apna Shasan’ (the traditional adivasi system of self-rule) and have always said in no uncertain terms, “quit my land, quit my country”, and for this thousands have sacrificed everything they had. Today we are celebrating 75 years of the country’s independence. Our problem is that in order to snatch away our water-forest-land-minerals for private companies, the BJP Central government is making new rules and regulations.

Sudama Khalkho, Birsa Oraon, Sandeep Kumar Kashchhap, Digambar Munda, Buddhadev Kerketta, Mahavir Munda and other leaders also spoke and said that the forests, lands, water and minerals of adivasis are being looted by dominant forces in nexus with the land mafia and village middlemen, as in case of the adivasi community lands in Masna-Sarna. Online land acquisition is a huge problem as receipts are not being given for these in the name of caste certificate and other pretexts. The future of adivasi children is being ruined. It was decided at the meeting to organize and fight against this loot of adivasis’ rights.

At the conclusion of the meeting a 22-member District level team was formed, including Risha Kerketta, Birsa Oraon, Ashok Kujur, Buddhadev Oraon, Mewa Oraon, Lalo Tirkey, Mahadev Oraon, Sarju Oraon, Sandeep Oraon, Mahabir Munda (1) Mahavir Munda (2), Pankaj Tigga, Alma Khalkho, Shanicharva Munda, Budu Oraon, Sandeep Kumar Kachchhap, Digambar Munda, Jagarnath Oraon, Jagdish Ganjhu, Sunny Oraon, Sudhan Munda, Sudama Khalkho and Indra Narayan Munda. The following proposals were passed in the meeting:

1. To fight for bandobasti and forest lease for gairmajrua and forest lands in Ranchi District on which adivasis are settled.
2. To fight for strict implementation of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act / Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, Mundari Khuntkhati Adhikar and provisions contained in the Fifth Schedule.
3. To fight against privatization of gairmajrua ‘khaas’ and ‘aam’ lands by handing them over to private companies through government land banks.
4. To fight for protection and empowerment of Gram Sabha rights.
5. To expose the conspiracy to hand over gairmajrua, forest and community lands to private companies through the Central government’s drone surveys in Khunti District disregarding the rights of the Gram Sabha.
6. To fight against large scale scams through online land transactions. Officials are extorting large amounts from villagers in the name of technical defects, and receipts are not being given under various pretexts.
7. To fight against the conspiracy to grab adivasis’ lands by the land-mafia-government officials nexus.
8. To fight against privatization of community lands and for distribution of bandobasti and forest lease lands among the poor and adivasis.
9. To fight to preserve the culture, traditions and system of self-government of adivasis.

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