153rd Anniversary of Hul and the Legacy of Resistance Growing Stronger in Jharkhand
June 30, 2008, marked the 153rd Anniversary of the historic anti-colonial and anti-landlordism Santal struggle started by Siddu and Kanhu in Jharkhand. CPI(ML) organised protests and launched struggles invoking the legacy of that great liberation movement of tribal and poor in Jharkhand and the memory of thousands of brave Santal martyrs.
On June 29, a protest programme on the issue of land control was underway in village Obra of Garhwa Dist., when the henchmen of local MLA Girinath Singh – who is from RJD and controls huge tracts of land – attacked the CPI(ML) leaders and the people participating in the programme. 13 people including 4 comrades of CPI(ML) –Comrades Kalicharan Mehta, Chhotan Singh, Sushma Mehta and Kishore Kumar – were injured and are undergoing medical treatment.
Though the programme being held was planned well in advance and the local administration had full information of it, despite this the administration failed to stop the MLA’s goons from attacking the programme.
A big rally comprising of some 3000 people from different parts of Dumka Dist. was held in Dumka on June 30 against rising prices, loot and massive corruption in NREGS and on the question of democracy. CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar and the Party’s Bagodar MLA Vinod Singh led the rally.
At Jobla the Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch organised an all-night Hul-jatra on June 30 on the theme culture of resistance against imperialist assaults, in which more than 5000 participated. Comrade Bahadur Oraon, CC member of CPI(ML) was the main speaker at the event. CCM Comrade Rajaram inaugurated the programme.
