Jharkhand: haheed Mela Salutes Land Struggle Martyrs of Panch Pargana
Sukhnath Lohra
During the 1980s and 90s, under the red flag of CPI(M) and Kisan Sabha, poor peasants fought a fierce class struggle to reclaim their lands from feudal lords and exploitative moneylenders in the Panch Pargana of Ranchi district. These struggles marked a historic chapter as the peasants eventually emerged victorious, but 65 peasant activists lost their lives during these battles. To honor their bravery and commemorate their memory, the Shaheed Mela is held annually, serving as a tribute to these courageous individuals who laid down their lives during the land struggle.
For several years, the Shaheed Mela could not be organised. However, with the initiative of the Ranchi district committee of the Party, a fair was successfully held on May 9 in Bundu, the headquarters of Panch Pargana. The fair witnessed active participation from rural communities. The event commenced with a vibrant procession and demonstration, with thousands of people proudly waving red flags. After paying homage to the martyrs at a grand memorial, a public meeting was conducted which was led by Suresh Munda, chairman of the mela organizing committee and a state committee member of CPI (M). Party state secretary Prakash Viplav, former Jharkhand state secretary Jnan Shankar Majumdar, AIKS finance secretary Krishna Prasad, joint secretary Awadhesh Kumar, Jharkhand Rajya Kisan Sabha president Sufal Mahto, state general secretary Surjit Sinha, and Ranchi district secretary Sukhnath Lohra, attended the meeting. The proceedings were managed by AIKS district secretary Diwakar Singh Munda.
The Shaheed Mela witnessed significant participation from children and women throughout the night-long event. Engaging programmes were held such as the famous Chhau dance from Purulia, Sarhul dance performed by tribals, captivating song dramas, and thought-provoking kala jatha and film screenings. The dangers of the New Education Policy were highlighted by the group of Gyan Vigyan Samiti. This has enlightened the younger generation of the Panch Pargana region about the heroic struggles of their forefathers and has also ignited enthusiasm for the farmer's movement.
At the peak of the land struggle, the exploiters of the region orchestrated a campaign using hired armed goons to recapture their usurped lands. They committed heinous acts, including the targeted killings of farmer leaders who were at the forefront of the struggle. Moreover, they formed a party with a white flag, vowing to eradicate the Kisan Sabha and the Red Flag from the area.
One of the primary targets of these attacks was Rajendra Singh Munda, a popular farmer leader from Sonahatu, Silli, Tamar, and Bundu areas of Panch Pargana. Munda, a three-time MLA from the Silli general assembly seat, endured numerous attacks, sustaining severe injuries multiple times. In their attempts to save his life, many of his comrades made the ultimate sacrifice. Among them was Laxmikant Swanshi of Bundu, a revered farmer organiser in the area, who was brutally killed in broad daylight in order to terrorise and suppress the struggling peasants.
However, their martyrdom further fueled the farmers' agitation and determination.The fervour of the land struggle that had taken place in united Bihar spread to Lohardaga district, adjacent to Ranchi and the demand for the return of usurped lands gained momentum there as well. As a result, the land grabbers were compelled to enter into an agreement with the farmers.
Just before the formation of Jharkhand, a tragic incident occurred in Daldali, Ratublock. Landlords played a murderous game to suppress the ongoing land struggle and shot dead three tribal farmers associated with the CPI(M) who were asserting their rights over ancestral lands. In self-defense, the tribal farmers resorted to using arrows and bows, resulting in the death of the landlord. Subsequently, there was a wave of police repression, leading to the arrest of numerous Party comrades, with three of them being sentenced to life imprisonment.
In this fierce class struggle, where three brave comrades laid down their lives, victory was achieved, and the lands usurped by the exploiters were reclaimed. This successful struggle also set the agenda for the newly formed state of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000, proclaiming that the rural people of Jharkhand would not allow their lands to be plundered. Those who engage in land grabbing attempt to seize the land belonging to farmers, would face a fitting and decisive response. However, even after the formation of Jharkhand, the looting of lands belonging to tribals and other poor people has not ceased but rather increased, regardless of which government has been in power. The special tenancy laws implemented as a protective shield for the lands acquired through the struggles of their forefathers are being violated. The BJP-led Raghuvar Das government's land-grabbing activities, under the guise of creating a land bank, continue under the Hemant Soren government.
Given this background, the Shaheed Mela aims to inspire the farmers to know that they cannot protect their lands without continued struggle, as now they are not just battling rural land grabbers but also powerful corporate entities favoured by the government in Delhi, who are aggressively encroaching upon the region's natural resources and fertile farmlands. Fighting and organising will not only halt advances of class enemies but will also be a befitting tribute to the heroes and martyrs of the Panch Pargana land struggles.
