THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Khunti, January 9: Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Friday addressed a public programme at Dombari Buru in Khunti, where he strongly condemned the recent brutal murder of a noted tribal social worker, calling it an attack on tribal identity, history and constitutional rights.
Munda said the victim was a protector of jal, jangal, zameen (water, forests and land), tribal culture and traditions. “This is not the murder of one person alone. It is a direct assault on the rights guaranteed to the tribal community by the Constitution. Unfortunately, this is not the first such incident,” he said.
Remembers 1900 Dombari Buru massacre
Recalling history, Munda said that on January 9, 1900, British rulers had carried out a brutal massacre of hundreds of tribals at Dombari Buru. It was at this very place that Bhagwan Birsa Munda mobilised people for the Ulugulan movement to protect tribal rights over land and forests.
On reaching Dombari Buru, Arjun Munda paid tribute to Birsa Munda and the tribal martyrs and addressed the gathering.
‘Bullets fired then, bullets fired now’
Munda said that even during British rule, the Munda community faced gunfire but endured oppression and created a legacy of resistance. “It is tragic that in independent India, on the soil of Jharkhand, bullets are being fired again and the administration remains a silent spectator,” he said.
He added that when leaders visited the victim’s house after the incident, there was an atmosphere of fear, anger and insecurity, with a large crowd gathered.
Alleges negligence in death of Birsa Munda’s descendant
Referring to another incident, Munda said that Mangal Munda, a descendant of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, died due to gross negligence. After meeting with an accident, he lay in an ambulance at RIMS hospital throughout the night without treatment. “By the time treatment started in the morning, it was too late,” he said, blaming the hospital administration.
Opposes land bank, panchayat merger moves
The former Chief Minister alleged that attempts to snatch tribal rights have intensified. He opposed land acquisition through land banks, tampering with land notifications, and efforts to merge panchayats in Scheduled Areas with municipal corporations.
“These actions are a direct attack on the Constitution, Panchayati Raj system, PESA Act and CNT-SPT Acts. The state government has no authority to make such unconstitutional changes,” he said.
Munda demanded the immediate withdrawal of land banks and unconstitutional land notifications and called for a complete halt to land grabbing in CNT-SPT areas.