Banjhi April 19th

Every year for the last 40 years thousands gather at Banjhi. 

They remember the massacre of 15 Santals who were protesting the murder of a poor person, probably by Mahajan moneylenders.  

See the PUCL Report on the massacre. 

The story of Anthony Murmu is at Saheed Jo Anjan Rahe made by Akhra.  

I first went to Santal Parganas a year earlier (1984) but visited Banjhi Divas in 1991 after I started working at Hiranpur. That year 4 JMM candidates attended a massive gathering at Banjhi Bungalow, immediately after filing their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections. Shibu Soren (father of the last CM) made an impassioned speech, calling all to vote for a future state of Jharkhand. 

A regular at annual Banjhi Divas meetings of Sona Santal Samiti was Stan Swamy. These meetings were annual discussions among youth and older members on issues that affected Adivasis and continues to this day through Bagaicha. Stan too died living his convictions. 

At Banjhi Divas I last met Valsa many years ago. She too was killed by those hired to oppose her social work among Santals of Pachhwara. 

The news from Sundarpahari in Godda district this year is shocking.  

39 years after Banjhi and 24 years after Jharkhand was formed and in a state where Shibu became CM himself soon afterwards, the police still shoot at sight without thinking of arrest or trial.. An innocent Sauria Paharia (Malto/PVTG) man died in a nation with a lady Santal as President. Our President Smt Draupadi Murmu was famous for returning a bill to end the Santal Parganas Tenancy Act. She refused to accept the decision of a BJP Assembly and defended tribal rights. Yet, even today contractors make money, goondas kidnap them and the police kill the innocent instead.