Koderma – The CPI (ML) Koderma district committee organized a people’s protest march from Jhumritilaiyya on 5 July led by district Secretary Com. Mohan Datta and other committee members to protest on the following issues:
i. Grabbing of land from rural poor by the Raghuvar government on pretext of wrong settlement in order to facilitate free loot of Jharkhand’s water, forests and land by corporate houses;
Against amendments in Chhotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) and Santhal Paragana Tenancy (SPT) Acts and the anti-people domicile policy;
ii. loot and irregularities related to food security.
The march culminated in a meeting at Jhanda Chowk. Addressing the meeting, CPI (ML) MLA Com. Rajkumar Yadav said that the BJP government is working in the direction of rapidly handing over Jharkhand’s natural and human resources to corporate houses. The very rationale behind the formation and existence of Jharkhand is in jeopardy and we must make the struggle against this sharper and more pervasive. All sections—workers, farmers, adivasis, dalits, minorities and others—must be united in this struggle. On 23 July a protest meeting was held in Kurah village, Kurah Panchayat, Ichak Block, to demand the arrest of the killers of Banwari Mehta.
Giridih – A minor adivasi girl student was gang-raped on 27 July in Bengabad (Giridih district). A protest march against the rape and demanding arrest of the perpetrators was taken out on 29 July in Bagodar after the AIPWA State committee meeting. The march was led by Comrades Meena Tiwari, Geeta Mandal, Sabita Singh, Poonam Mahto, Jayanti Choudhury and others. AISA took out a protest march against the gang rape on 31 July at Rajdhanwar. The march culminated in a meeting where speakers said that the police were in cahoots with the perpetrators of the rape. They strongly condemned the failure of the police to arrest the culprits even 72 hours after the incident and demanded their arrest without delay.
Palamu- Middle, small and poor farmers from many blocks were mobilized and came together under the leadership of CPI ML) Palamu district committee to protest on issues of land for housing, eviction from agricultural land, loot in construction of Dobhas (farm ponds/irrigation points), loot in ration distribution, irregularities in issue of ration cards, food security and other related issues. The issues raised also included renovation of canals and dams for a long term solution to drought and distribution of pending rations.
A protest march and meeting were held on 14 July at Panki block HQ. The protest demanded the proper construction of 3 canals—Vanarchua, Klonwa and Satura—for irrigation to provide a sustainable solution to drought. On the same day, protests were organized at Mohammadganj and Chainpur Block HQs with all the above demands and also the issue of people settled on gairmajrua land for 20-25 years who have got legal parchas for their land but have not yet been given dakhal-kabja of the land. This issue was added in the memorandum submitted. A protest and meeting was held on 5 July at the Lesliganj Block office (Palamu district). Protests and meetings on the above demands were also held in Sangma and Dhurki Blocks (Garhwa district). These protests generated a lot of enthusiasm in the district.
