Unsung Heroes Of Jharkhand Movement

The separate state of Jharkhand was a dream of all. A layout had been made of how it would be. How did this come about? Who made the sacrifices? Where were the people tortured? How many lost their lives? The reason for this book to be written was to document the sacrifices of these people who created Jharkhand. It is a tribute to keep alive their memory and contribution. The book deals with stories of these unsung heroes in six sections. The first highlights the tragedy of those killed by the police. Also those who were caught in cross-firing. The second section comprises stories of revolutionaries who became victims of the mafia and thugs. The third section throws light on the role played by the non-tribal revolutionaries. In the fourth section, the stories are dedicated to the role of women in the Jharkhand Movement. The fifth section discusses about the Role of All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU). The sixth section brings forth the plight of those who died due to lack of treatment, of natural causes or in accidents. They, however, played a major role in the Movement. It also mentions those who are living and carrying on the good work.

There is a time when we are growing but we merely grow and a time when we start understanding how things around us function. Some things make sense and some don’t, and we begin to ask why . . . Suddenly life takes on a meaning and we start searching for more meanings. Over the course of more than three decades, Bela Bhatia’s work and concerns have brought her face-to-face with the harsh nature of people’s lives in India’s ‘forgotten country’—the hamlets, villages and slums—and the oppressive forces that rule and ruin the lives of Dalits, Adivasis, bonded labourers, women and other downtrodden groups. She has also witnessed how their everyday lives are pockmarked with violence and the brutality—often organized—they face when they resist. India’s Forgotten Country captures Bela’s early years as an activist in rural Gujarat, her research on the Naxalite movement, her investigations of violations of democratic rights in different regions, and her recent years dealing with the ongoing conflict between the state and Maoists in Bastar. The essays build on first-hand investigations conducted in states ranging from Bihar and Telangana to Rajasthan and Nagaland, besides Kashmir. People such as Deepa Musahar, Kaliben, Muchaki Sukadi, Zarifa Begum, Tareptsuba and others have ample space in this book to speak for themselves. These essays are stories of life, death and despair, but also serve as inspiring accounts of resistance, resilience, courage and hope.

Jharkhand, the land of forest, named by the people of the neighboring plains, had been a safe haven of the indigenous peoples until the sixteenth century when the process of central state formation began to grow out of the nontribal matrix in the region. The states that emerged then fell under the direct influence and control of the great empires of successive periods that encroached upon the resources and lives of the indigenous peoples. They disrupted their egalitarian social system and their culture based upon a symbiotic relationship with their environment, forcing the indigenous people to retreat to even more inhospitable regions to rebuild their social structure. However, they were never able to fully escape the ever-increasing boundaries of the state, which eventually stripped the Jharkhand of its resources and left its people peasants. The modern Jharkhand movement, a continuation of the peoples' resistance to the encroaching state, has been widely covered in the media and academic circles. Various analytical reports, academic interpretations and political explanations, often holding contradictory views, have been published over a period exceeding the last five decades. The production of such a huge corpus of literature shows the strength of the movement, and the immense significance of the issues. Containing contributions by leading social scientists and activists, this volume furthers the discourse on the relationship between mainstream nationalism and the indigenous identity often termed ethnicity, as it relates to the nation state. In doing so, it helps civil society understand the relevance of autonomy and identity of the indigenous peoples of the country as a whole. Thebasic line of inquiry concerns the issues (dispossession from life supporting resources of land, forest, water and identity), the main cause (internal colonialism) and the remedy (provision of autonomy).

I have great pleasure in placing the report of One Day National Seminar on Forgotten Heroes: Stories of Unsung Heroes, Freedom Fighters”. The background of this National Seminar , undertaken with the financial assistance of Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. The Seminar attempted to recall and remember forgotten Heroes of our freedom movement, many of whom might be renowed yet unknown to the new generation. The aim of recalling and bringing forth stories, which lay as faded memories of the past, shall serve as a medium of inspiration and encouragement for the coming generations. The spirit of India is incomplete whilst we atke our unsung heroes along this journey of grwoth and development. Their ethos and principles ought to be recalled and respected. Thanks are primarily due to financial support by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi and their constant support during the whole process. I am also highly thankful to Convener, Debates and Seminar Committee of Government Degree College Tral who provided all kind of support in organising this national seminar. I am also highly thankful to other colleagues who supported me during this event. Dr. M.Shafi Bhat

The Life and Times of Jaipal Singh Munda’ is a biography of the legendary leader; hockey genius—who as the Captain; led India Hockey Team to Gold at Amsterdam Summer Olympics; 1928; a voice of the voiceless Adivasis; a Member of the Constituent Assembly and a brain to Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution; an excellent orator and man who conceived to rescue ‘Jharkhand’ from the womb of history. An M.A. (Economics) from Oxford and an Oxford Hockey Blue; Jaipal quit coveted ICS career to lead Indian team at Olympics—only Olympics in history where the Gold medalist team did not concede a single goal to rivals in the entire tournament. Legendary Major Dhyan Chand was a member of this team. Though married into the family of Indian National Congress President W.C. Bonnerjee; Jaipal dared to go against his own in-laws and formed ‘Jharkhand Party’ in order to lead his ‘Adivasi’ people to statehood by literally becoming a thorn in the Congress politics. Jaipal was the President of Oxford Indian Majlis; a debating society. As the Principal of Rajkumar College; Raipur; Jaipal organised a football match in Calcutta; at which the school commoners played football with the royal princes of India.

Unsung Heroes, Uplifting Stories is a collection of tales and personal life stories from various corners of the globe based on the author’s personal observations and interaction with the people he met during his visits to those places. Each person or situation has a story to tell… from which we can learn extraordinary lessons, or gain inspiration. This first-person narrative transports the readers to the scene of action or conversation and makes them relive the experience themselves.

In the aftermath of liberalization of Indian economy in 1991, the study of star-fan studies has experienced exponential expansion. Hero and Hero-Worship: Fandom in Modern India explores the areas of political, religious, film and cricket star fandoms; analyzing the rise of star formations and their consequent fandoms, star-fan bonds, as well as the physical and virtual space that both stars and fans inhabit. As perhaps one of the first book-length studies on Indian fandom, this volume not only draws on the works of Jenkins and other fandom scholars, but also explores the economic and cultural specificities of Indian fandom. This book will be of particular interest to scholars working in the field, as well as general readers interested in understanding star-fan interactions and intersections.