Protests against Repression and Land Grab in Jharkhand
CPIML organized a lathi march on 25 September 2019 at the Jamua Main Road to express resentment against the repression of Anganwadi workers in Jharkhand and arrest of local party leader for raising issue of corruption by local MLA. The march culminated in a meeting at Jamua Chowk. The Jharkhand government brutally lathi-charged Anganwadi workers who were peacefully protesting and demanding their rights in Ranchi.
In another incident CPIML District Committee member Meena Das was arrested by Jamua police when she was leading a campaign for the struggle for pension, ration and housing and against BJP MLA Kedar Hazra’s manipulation of government funds. Her arrest was strongly condemned widely and demand for her immediate and unconditional release was raised. The CPIML has also demanded to lodge an FIR and arrest of Jamua MLA Kedar Hazra who is charged with manipulation of funds for the construction of 10 ponds in each Panchayat. The demands of revenue village status for Medinitand village; ration cards for all poor; old age and widow pensions; toilets for all poor; gas connections; 24-hour presence of a lady doctor at the referral hospital were also raised in this protest.
Protest for Land at Giridih
CPIML and All India Kisan Mahasabha organized a dharna on 3 October 2019 against the snatching away of gairmajrua land in Giridih District and also observed the day as Solidarity with Kashmir Day. The snatching away and selling of gair-majrua lands on which farmers had been settled for years/centuries is a matter of grave concern. The dharna was addressed by former MLA Vinod Kumar Singh, MLA Rajkumar Yadav, Usman Ansari, Pawan Mahto and others. Vinod Singh said that gair-majrua lands are being handed over to corporate houses for profit, and compensation is also not being paid according to the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill. Rajkumar Yadav said that the abrogation of 370 and the continuing lockdown in Kashmir is a betrayal and crime against the Kashmiri people and we demand restoration of democracy and release of arrested leaders and common people.
A dharna was held on 25 September at Tisri Block HQ to protest against the lathi charge on peacefully protesting Anganwadi workers and to demand the unconditional release of Meena Das and Ashok Paswan and FIR against Kedar Hazra. Dharna protests and effigy burnings were also held at Devri and Gandey Block HQs. A dharna was held at Bagodar on 3 September to demand housing and compensation for the people in villages of Devardih Panchayat whose kutcha houses collapsed during the recent heavy rains.
Peasants’ Struggle in Garhwa
Dhudki Block HQ in Garhwa District was gheraoed on 30 September 2019 on the following issues: poor electricity supply; snatching farmers’ lands in the name of elephant corridor; limiting height of Panghatwa Dam; issue of online receipts for raiyyot lands in Phatapani, gaviyari and other villages; compensation for raiyyot lands acquired in the name of road construction in Khala, Ghaghri, Virwal, Bilaspur, and Sagma. Hundreds of people attended the gherao and a memorandum was submitted to the BDO Ranjit Sinha.
Also on 30 September, the Electricity Department main gate at Dadai Block in Nawada was blockaded and slogans were raised. The All India Kisan Mahasabha organized a one-day dharna for farmers’ demands which included: implementation of Chief Minister’s Krishi Ashirwad Scheme; Kisan Credit Card; rectifying the poor electricity system. A 6-point memorandum was submitted to the Governor through the Chief Engineer. The dharna was addressed by Kalicharan Mehta, Sushma Mehta and others.
