NEW DELHI: With Covert support from the Congress, the Jharkhand movement’s indefinite economic blockade from March 16is likely to create more trouble for the Laloo Prasad Yadav Government in Bihar.

The blockade plan was announced by former Minister of State for Home Subodh Kant Sahay, now with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Meanwhile, the Bihar Chief Minister called on Union Home Minister S.B.Chavan and conveyed his total opposition to the formation of a separate Jharkhand State. Yadav, however, said he agreed to the basic principles of providing an autonomous setup to administer the region for its accelerated growth, official sources said.

Sahay’s announcement concerning the economic blockade came despite Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao’s assurance to an all-party Jharkhand State Committee delegation on March 5 that soon he would make an announcement on the issue.

The delegation had called on the Prime Minister to present a memorandum seeking immediate creation of a Jharkhand State. Those who met Rao included Congress MP Gyan Ranjan and former MP Sartaraz Ahmad, besides three JMM MPs, Suraj Mandal, Shailendra Mahato and Simon Marandi. Dr,.Dey Saran Bhagat and Rajinder Mehta of the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU), Vinod Bhagat and Prof Sanjay Basunalik of the Jharkhand People’s Party (JPP) and S.P.Arya of the Jharkhand Chambers of Commerce were also part of the delegation.

The delegation had met Rao after deliberating for two days the course of action that would focus the Government and/t people’s attention on the issue, member of the delegation said ‘their slogan was “Abhi nahin to kabhi nahin.” (Now, then never).

The participants in the two-day deliberations had a larger list of Congressmen including Harish’ Rawat, former MP and Inderit Khullar, who was elected to the Lok Sabha with the support of Sublash Ghisingh’s Gorkha Hill Council and later announced his allegation to the Congress. Briefing newspersons after meeting the Prime Minister, Sahay recalled that Chayan has repeated on September 2, 8 and 11 that the only solution to the Jharkhand: problem was the creation of separate State. “We will not allow him to go back on this.

” he said: The main opposition to the formation of a separate Jharkhand State, according to the delegation. Members, is only from former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and Laloo Prasad Yadav, said Gyan Ranjan.

The protagonists of the movement have formed an all-party struggle committee called the Sarvadaliya Jharkhand Rajya Sangharsh Saniti and the Samiti will hold a public meeting in Ranchi on March 11, a demonstration on March 15 and the indefinite economic blockade will start from March 16, The blockade would apply only to the movement of minerals from the Jharkhand region, Other essential services” and even trains and transportation will remain unaffected by the blockade, they added.

 

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 12, 1993