Jamshedpur : The three-day convention of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) being held at at Gopal Maidan, Bistupur has come up with a plan to revive demand for �Greater Jharkhand�. The party has decided to launch a movement in favour of their demand.
�Greater Jharkhand� consists of Purulia, Bankura and Midnapore districts of West Bengal, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts of Odisha. However the party has not included some areas of Chattisgarh.
�We demand that a state should be made keeping the culture and the people of the area in mind. Our culture and traditions are the same as those of the Odisha and West Bengal state. This is a common agenda of all the Jharkhand parties, and therefore, we decided to start the movement in a democratic way,� said Supriyo Bhattacharya, a senior leader of JMM.
JMM will soon launch a movement to demand for a ‘Greater Jharkhand’, comprising of parts of adjoining West Bengal and Odisha.
JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharyya on the second day of the ongoing central convention of the party said that the party will chalk out a future course of action to achieve the demand, to crteate pressure on Odisha and West Bengal to constitute Autonomous Development Council (ADC) comprising these tribal-dominated districts as per constitutional process to merge into Jharkhand.
Justifying the demand, Bhattacharyya said these tribal-populated districts have similarity on account of its history, culture, tradition, language and political aspects.
Bhattacharya claimed that JMM has a strong base in West Bengal while it had already made its presence in Odisha by winning six Assembly seats and one MP seat.
�We demand complete unified Jharkhand and the Government cannot turn back to it,� said another leader. JMM leaders however, claim that the demand of Greater Jharkhand was initially raised by the party and they still stand by it.
�We are of the demand that State Reorganisation Commission should be constituted and fulfill our demands,� said JMM leader. �We are in constant touch with the committees of Odisha and West Bengal, following which the movement will gain momentum,� he added.
Jharkhand was created in 2000 out of Bihar whereas the proposed Greater Jharkhand of 1950 consisted of four districts of Orissa, three districts of West Bengal, two districts of Chattisgarh and parts of Bhagalpur sub-division of Bihar, they said.
On the last day of the convention there would be organizational elections on the last day on April 18 which is likely to witness Hemant Soren being made the executive president of the party by bringing an amendment in the party constitution.� This would be first instance when a post of executive president would be created in the JMM party.