Jamshedpur: Manki-Munda 100 km Padyatra to DC office in pursuit of seven fold demand

Mail News Service
Baharagora, Oct 15: Residents of several villages under Baharagora Block launched on a 100 km long Padyatra (foot march) to Jamshedpur where they would hand over a seven-fold demand for Manki-Munda rights to the East Singhbhum District Deputy Commissioner seeking immediate implementation by the state government.
The commencement of the Padyatra on Sunday was in traditional manner. Participants of the Manki-Munda 100 km march gathered at Binapani Ground on the junction of NHs 49 and 18 where they offered their respects to immortal revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for attainment of a separate state for the children of the soil. They bowed and offered their prayers to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Veer Shahids Poto Ho, Ganganarayan Singh, and Sidhu Kanhu at the Dehuri. This journey is expected to reach the DC’s office on Wednesday, October 18.
The participants of the Padyatra were carrying placards listing the various demands.
The four-day long Manki-Munda Rights Foot March is being led by the District President Manki Roshan Purty.
It may be mentioned that the Manki-Munda Sangh, which has been functioning through decades, functions according to the provisions of the Wilkinson/Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908 that advocates the tribal traditional self-governance system.
The Padyatra’s flagging off ceremony was attended by JMM Central Secretary Babulal Soren, former Deputy Speaker Devendra Nath Champia, former Health Minister Dr Dinesh Kumar Sarangi, and senior leader Dr Sunita Devdoot Soren, who raised the green flag as part of the ceremony.
JMM Central Secretary, Babulal Soren, speaking on the occasion observed, “Manki-Munda is a traditional tribal self-governance system, and the government cannot overlook this fact. The self-governance system protects Jal, Jungle, Zameen (water, forest, land). If our land is protected and saved, our culture and language will remain protected and propagated. We will unite and fight, be it against the state or central government, to protect our rights including that of self-governance.”
Former Deputy Speaker, Devendra Nath Champia stated that all tribal languages (Ho, Munda, Bhumi, Kudukh, and Santali) should be taught in universities. “A separate department should be established for the purpose,” he claimed.
Former Health Minister Dinesh Sarangi suggested that the honorarium provisioned for the Manki-Munda, Gram Pradhans in East Singhbhum should be immediately extended to their counterparts in West Singhbhum. Padma Shri Dr Janum Singh Soy emphasized the need to establish academies for tribal languages to preserve their literature.
The seven point demand of the Manki-Munda include:
Immediate disbursement of honorarium to Manki-Munda, Dakua, Ghatwal, Sardar, Nayak, Deuri/Pahan; Ho, Munda, Kudukh, Santali languages be declared First Official Languages of Jharkhand; inclusion of Ho, Munda, Bhumi, Kudukh languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution; immediate recruitment of teachers for Ho, Munda, Bhumi, Kudukh, Santali languages at Kolhan University;
formation of Ho, Munda, Bhumi, Kudukh, Santali languages Academy;
repeal of the Forest Conservation Act of 2023 by the central government; Jharkhand government should immediately enact the PESA Act 1996 and form a Tribal Advisory Council.