Mail News Service
Jamshedpur: The JMM observed slain leader Nirmal Mahto�s birth anniversary on Wednesday Floral tribute was paid to the statue of the departed leader, who was gunned down in 1987 in front of the Chamaria guest house at Bistupur area here. A huge rally was also organised at Ulyan, the birth place of Mahto, this afternoon.
Various functions were organised across the city where senior leaders of JMM paid homage to their leader Mahto.
A prayer meeting was organised near Nirmal Mahto�s memorial at Uliyan in Kadma. After the prayer meeting, JMM supporters accompanied by their leaders paid floral tributes to Mahto at his bust situated near Tata Steel�s guest house in Bistupur.
JMM leaders Champai Soren, Ramdas Soren, senior leaders Mohan Karmakar and Raju Giri, former Jamshedpur MP Suman Mahto, Pramod Lal, Badruddin Sheikh and Ramshray Prasad and several supporters were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering of the supporters at Kadma Soren said, �The need of the hour is to work genuinely for the development of the state as Nirmal Da laid his life for the creation of a separate state to make tribals of this region earn livelihood with dignity.�
He said that even though, our fight for Greater Jharkhand would continue to bring all of the tribals and moolvasis of Orissa to one state i.e. Jharkhand but current circumstances demands action to improve the living condition of the residing tribals and moolvasis of the state, he added.
In the afternoon party members took out 5-km long motorcycle rally, from the cremation site in Kadma to Chamaria Guest House, Bistupur where Nirmal Mahato was gunned down two decades back, that was culminated with members paying their tributes to the former leader.
The gathering this year was relatively high with people from Odisha and West Bengal coming in huge numbers, a first of its kind in the recent years, while, party members from districts like Dumka, Sahebjang and Pakur too, have turned up in impressive strenght.
Meanwhile, JMM leader maintained that with the increase in the reach of Nirmal Da’s ideology amongst the party workers of neighbouring states particulary, West Bengal and Odisha their turnout is on increase over the years.