On 17 July 2020, the first anniversary of the Umbha massacre at Sonbhadra, the CPIML paid tribute to the adivasis killed in the massacre and organized memorial meetings at more than a dozen villages. As the administration had banned memorial meetings at Umbha village, party leaders organized meetings at adjacent Magardahan (Ghorawal) and neighboring villages to pay tribute to the victims.
CPIML State Committee member Shashikant said that Umbha village has been turned into a police cantonment and no one is being allowed in or out of the village. In this situation the Party organized meetings at a dozen neighboring villages to pay tribute to the adivasis who were killed in the massacre. Memorial meetings were held at Magardahan, Baghpokhar, Gureth, Bhawana, Pikuthi, Takiya, Losiyan, Pakdi and other villages. An altar was made of red cloth and placed at each village and two minuts’ silence was observed to pay tribute to the victims of the massacre. Parchas were distributed at the meetings. Speaking on the occasion, CPIML leaders said that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is wielding Daman Raj (rule by repression) under the excuse of the Corona pandemic crisis. On the one hand his administration is protecting those who oppress and torture the weaker sections; on the other hand, they do not allow even a memorial meeting for the adivasi victims of the Umbha massacre (perpetrated by the land mafia) at the incident spot. This government is afraid of questions. This is a government under whom killings and oppression of dalits and adivasis occur consistently.
