Jharkhand Bandh Scores Complete Success

 Prakash Viplav

AT the joint call of Left and secular parties, Jharkhand bandh on January 29 scored complete success throughout the state. The bandh was spontaneous and peaceful. The state police arrested a total of 5,459 bandh supporters, including 1200 CPI(M) supporters in 22 districts. The highest number of the arrests --- 985 --- took place made in Jamshedpur. In Ranchi 450 persons, including CPI(M) workers, were detained.

The Jharkhand state committee of the CPI(M) has congratulated the people of Jharkhand for making the Jharkhand bandh an unprecedented success.

Opposition parties have been demanding a judicial inquiry into corruption charges against the BJP chief minister Arjun Munda, particularly in the case land lease to the Tatas and his personal involvement in getting contracts in the name of his wife and relatives from the Tatas. They have also been demanding the holding of panchayat elections in the state within March 31, 2004, as directed by Ranchi High Court.

Throughout the state, right since the morning, large sections of party workers came out in procession with flags, banners and placards, shouting slogans against the state government. In Ranchi, a peaceful procession of over 200 CPI(M) workers was taken out in support of the Jharkhand bandh. The procession was led by CPI(M) state secretariat members Rajendra Singh Munda, Sudhir Das, D D Ramanandan and Prakash Viplav, and its state committee members Prafulla Linda, Sufal Mahto and Sanjay Paswan. The procession passed through Albert Ekka Chowk and Kerballa Chowk before it reached the main road where it was stopped by the police. The processionists then sat on dharna, but the police arrested them and forcibly put them into jeeps and buses. The state centre of the CPI(M) has been continuously receiving news of the bandh’s success from other districts of the states.