Hundreds protest 'killing' of Adivasi youth by security forces in Jharkhand, govt inaction

By A Representative
Hundreds of people of Piri and nearby villages (Latehar district, Jharkhand) and representatives of several people’s organisations have protested at the Latehar district headquarters against the killing of Piri’s Adivasi youth Bramhadev Singh allegedly by security forces.
The dharna was organised by the Piri Gram Sabha with the support of several organisations – Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Mahasabha, Akhil Jharkhand Kherwar Janjati Vikas Parishad, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) and the Sayunkt Gram Sabha (Latehar, Palamu, Garhwa).
On June 12, 2021, security forces, out on a Naxal search campaign, reportedly opened fire on innocent Adivasis of Piri village (Garu, Latehar) during which Bramhadev Singh was shot dead. Adivasis including Bramhadev were going out on a traditional hunting ritual, as every year, for the Sarhul festival. They all carried the single-fire Bhartua gun which is used to hunt small animals and birds like rabbits, pigs and chickens and to protect crops from animals.
The villagers did not fire a single shot, a communique from JJM said, adding, they raised their hands and shouted that they were common people and not Maoists. Yet, the security forces kept on firing. Instead of booking the perpetrators for the murder of Bramhadev Singh and violence, the local police filed an FIR against the six victims, including dead Bramhadev Singh, under various sections including Arms Act. Despite repeated applications by Bramhadev's wife and villagers to the police and administration, an FIR against security forces responsible for killing Bramhadev is yet to be filed.

At the end of the dharna, the organisers submitted a letter addressed to the chief minister to the deputy commissioner with the following major demands:

File an FIR, based on Jiramani Devi’s application, against the security forces personnel responsible for shooting Bramhadev Singh dead and ensure punitive action against them.
The FIR registered by the police on six Adivasis including Bramhadev should be quashed. Administrative action should be taken against the local police and senior officials for filing wrong statements and FIRs.
Bramhadev Singh should be given a compensation of at least ten lakh rupees. The government should take full responsibility of their son's upbringing, education and employment. Also, the remaining five victims should be compensated for harassment by the police.
People should not be harassed by security forces under the guise of anti-Naxal operations. Before running a search operation in a village area in fifth schedule areas, the consent of Gram Sabha and traditional village heads should be taken. Local administration and security forces should be trained and sensitised about Adivasi language, customs, culture and their world view.

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

Search This Blog