SEVERAL effective people’s struggles were carried out between 23 August and 15 September in Jharkhand opposing the anti-people machinations of the Raghuvar Das government in the state.
The CPI(ML) organized a people’s gherao of the Block Headquarters in Barwadih (Latehar) on 15 September 2018. About 2000 villagers from 50 villages (Morbai, Saidup, Ledgai, Ulkamor, Tataha, Mandal, Hethli and others) with traditional weapons staged a People’s Anger Rally from the Barwadih Middle School Maidan, marched through the city and held a gherao at the BDO and CO Offices. The gherao was held to protest against the loot rampant in all government schemes, including Housing Schemes, MNREGA, and ration and kerosene distribution. The BDO and CO, both remained gheraoed inside their offices from 2 pm to 4.30 pm.
Earlier on 23 August, a dharna had been held at the Block HQ on the same issues. But as the Raghubar government has paid no heed to the protest, this People’s Anger Rally was organized. Addressing the protesters, CPI (ML) Jharkhand Secretary Com. Janardan Prasad said that the Raghubar government is working in the interest of corporate companies and the corrupt, which is why such loot is rampant in all the schemes. It is time to throw out the BJP government from Jharkhand and the country. District Secretary Com. Birju Ram said that the people are viewing the complicity of the BDO in the loot with great suspicion. Block Secretary Com. Kanhai Singh said that wages of MNREGA workers are not being paid into their accounts but are being swallowed up by middlemen in the name of fake workers.
A memorandum was submitted to the Governor with the following demands: benefit of PM Housing Scheme and Ambedkar Housing Scheme should be given to the poor in Betla village; arrest corrupt Mukhiya, Panchayat Sewak and others guilty of corruption; correct the anomalies in SECC data and give housing to the rightful beneficiaries; ration cards to the thousands of villagers who have been deleted from the earlier list; cancel license of ration dealer in Kechki village and ensure recovery of looted funds as found in the social audit; punish the guilty in the loot in development works under the 14th Finance Bill quota and Land Protection Department; end the illegal exhortation of Rs 2,000-8,000 from the rural poor in exchange of providing them their rightful dues; correct the anomalies in Register 2 names and allot gairmajrua land to rural poor; Rs 2 lakhs compensation to each of the families of the 2 workers from Kechki and Chepri villages who died as migrant workers in other States.
On 12 September 2018 the Barwadih Forest Department had been gheraoed, preparations for which were done through rallies and marches in various villages jointly by Gram Sabhas and the CPI(ML). The Scheduled tribes who live in the forests and protect the forests, trees and timber, and earn their livelihood by gathering and selling mahua. But now the forest authorities have put a ban on their mahua-gathering; instead, the authorities themselves are gathering and selling the mahua. Forest land patta holders are being evicted forcibly and are being threatened with charges under various criminal sections. Despite the agitation by hundreds of villagers, the forest department is refusing to give them their pattas. Forest officials are felling trees worth crores of rupees and selling them to contractors. In 1996 the Gram Sabhas were strengthened by the PESA Act. But today the forest department is snatching away that right and evicting adivasis from the forests. Victims of crop-destruction by elephants are not being given any compensation.
Villagers, including a large number of women, from about 20 villages joined the gherao and marched with bows, arrows, and domestic tools to the Forest Department, where they were stopped at the gate. However, the democratic resistance of the people prevailed and the gate had to be opened for them. Addressing the gherao, District Secretary Com. Birju Ram said that the fascist BJP-RSS forces must be driven out of Jharkhand by people’s movements just as wild animal predators are driven out by kindling fires. Through this gherao a 12-point memorandum was submitted to the forest department.
