Report from Jharkand :

The government of Jharkhand organized a global summit for investment in Jharkhand . On 16th & 17th of Feb2017 it was organized in Ranchi with full of fanfare and huge expenditure . The state government dep loyed Police Forces on each and ev ery chawraha & Roads . Since 12th Feb it imposed Section 144 for 3 days and on 15th , 16th & 17th Feb in all over Ranchi city . The people and students have faced so many problems . On 13th Feb under the banners of Visthapan Virodhi NavNirman Morcha ’ and ‘ Visthapan VirodhiJanvikashAndolan ’ Jharkhand , the prominent morcha leaders , citizens , & activists were gathered at Albert Ekkachouk Ranchi and protested against the tamasa of summit . In VVNN Morcha , organizations like Marxist-Leninists , Socialists , JP-eite , Gandhian , traditional tribal organizations & few NGOs have participated . All these organizations also opp osed the rev isions of SanthalParaganaTenency Act ( SPT Act ) andChhota Nagpur Tenancy Act ( CNT Act ) which wchich were amended by the state government and awaiting approval from the central government . These two legislations were enacted by the colonial powers with the intent to save the land of tribal and indigenous peoples of Jharkhand .. At the end of summit , Govt announced that 210 MoU were signed with the companies . CM Raghubar Das arrogantly told that his Govt will implement all MoUs . According to him there is no shortage of land because Govt has sufficient land ( about 20 lacks acres ) in the land bank . Jharkhand Govt is not ready to learn a lesson from its past failures to forcibly acquire Adivasi and indigenous peoples land . Over hundred MoUs were signed between the previous governments and various companies for acquisition of lakhs of acres of mostly Adivasi land that would result in the displacement of lakhs of Adivasis . People resisted the forcible acquisition of their land . Most companies had to leave Jharkhand empty-handed . The govt reacted by accusing the activists leading resistance movements as being anti-development , and antinational and throwing hundreds of them in jail . Police force was used to suppress people ’ s peaceful protests even to the extent of opening fire , killing several persons and wounding many more in deferent districts . State violence has instead strengthened people ’ s intent to protect their rights over jal , jangal , jamin , minerals . 24

Illegal to the Core : Every step taken by the state government to favour the big bourgeoisie is illegal on all counts . The forcible acquisition of Santal land in Pakur district by-passing SPT Act in favour of a private mining company PANEM illustrates this . The Supreme Court declared this company illegal together with over two hundred other mining companies all over the country . Even then the company is still continuing mining activities with the help of state Govt illegally . Many provisions for rehabilitating the displaced people as per the MoU signed by the company were flouted and the people have lost everything and have been reduced to the point of destitution . The govthasgovernment not only looked the other way it also failed to force the said company to fulfill its legal obligation to the peoples . Bogey of Land Bank

‘ Land Bank ’ is the current novel idea of the state govt to grab Adivasi land for industrialists . It is done by demarcating uncultivated land , either of individual families or of the village community or in the village forest . One specific example of one Block in Khunti district will throw light on the matter :

Thus a grand total of 16,104 acres of ‘ uncultivated land ’ is slated to constitute the Land Bank in just one ( Torpa ) block . Several months ago the CM of Jharkhand announced that 1,75,000 acres are available for Land Bank . The present estimate is any body ’ s guess ! contd . in page 22

Land Bank in Torpa Block , Khunti Dt ., Jharkhand

Uncultivated Private Land : No . of Plots : 1568 Total Identified as acquirable : 10,898 acres Total transferred to Land bank : 1116 acres Total still Available : 9781 acres

Uncultivated common Land : No . of plots : 367 Total identified as acquirable : 683 acres Total already transferred : Nil Total still available : 683 acres

Uncultivated forest Land : No . of plots : 354 Total identified as acquirable : 4523 acres Total already transferred to Land bank : Nil Total Still Available : 4523 acres

Class Struggle