Ranchi: The Hemant Soren government is grappling with protests over the language row and the fallout of violence in Hazaribag’s Barhi block, prompting the authorities to impose prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in several pockets.
On Monday, the prohibitory orders were clamped in Koderma and similar curbs were enforced in the sadar region of Giridih. Meanwhile, the violence-hit Barhi block in Hazaribag remained tense with the police appealing to the public not to fall for any rumor and warned of stringent action if caught indulging in such activities.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP is in no mood to go soft on the JMM-Congress-RJD government with the state budget session scheduled later this month.
BJP has also announced to hold mashal julus in all districts in Feb 17 against Barhi youth murder. Adding more woes to the government’s plight is the resentment among several MLAs of the ruling alliance over the inclusion and exclusion of certain languages from the state’s regional languages list for recruitment both at the state and district levels.
Ex-MLA and founder president of Ajsu-P Surya Singh Besra said the “conspiracy to start the language row is the brainchild of the government for its political gains but backfired”.
Speaking to reporters outside the state guest house here where RJD president Lalu Prasad is camping, Besra said, “In Jharkhand, there will be no place for languages native to Bihar. For this, we will go to any extent to oppose the government which has stirred a hornet’s nest.”
Currently, several tribal groups are opposing the inclusion of Bhojpuri, Angika and other languages for the district-level recruitment tests after excluding them from the state level. Supporters of these languages are also opposing the exclusion from the state list.
“Before the formation of Jharkhand, tribals waged a war for a separate state to safeguard their cultural identity. Now, this issue has forced us to resume a similar fight once more,” Besra added.
Commenting briefly on the issue, Lalu had on Sunday said his party will protest tooth and nail against the removal of Bhojpur, Angika and Maghi from the regional language list of the state here.
“Andolan hoga (there will be stir),” he said, taking a dig at state education minister Jagarnath Mahto, who took a stand against the inclusion of these languages in Dhanbad and Bokaro.
Besra, on the other hand, dared, Mahto to resign from the cabinet if he was serious on the issue. “I was part of the statehood movement and in the 1990s, I had resigned as an MLA to demand a separate Jharkhand state. Mahto should resign if he is serious in fighting for our languages,” Besra said.
BJP, too, has been attacking the government over the removal of Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages from the state list.
Meanwhile, the communal violence in Barhi block of Hazaribag on February 6 when a 17-year-old-youth, Rupesh Kumar Pandey, was found murdered, is being played out as a government’s failure in curbing mob-lynching by the saffron party and other right-wing outfits.
Even though Hazaribag police rejected the portrayal of the incident as mob-lynching, BJP is unimpressed and different right-wing outfits are holding daily protests in different parts of the state, seeking ‘justice for Pandey’. Now, BJP leader from Delhi, Kapil Mishra, is expected to visit Pandey’s house in Barhi on February 16. State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, “We as an opposition has been raking up issues concerning public interest and we will not let our guards down “
On Monday, the prohibitory orders were clamped in Koderma and similar curbs were enforced in the sadar region of Giridih. Meanwhile, the violence-hit Barhi block in Hazaribag remained tense with the police appealing to the public not to fall for any rumor and warned of stringent action if caught indulging in such activities.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP is in no mood to go soft on the JMM-Congress-RJD government with the state budget session scheduled later this month.
BJP has also announced to hold mashal julus in all districts in Feb 17 against Barhi youth murder. Adding more woes to the government’s plight is the resentment among several MLAs of the ruling alliance over the inclusion and exclusion of certain languages from the state’s regional languages list for recruitment both at the state and district levels.
Ex-MLA and founder president of Ajsu-P Surya Singh Besra said the “conspiracy to start the language row is the brainchild of the government for its political gains but backfired”.
Speaking to reporters outside the state guest house here where RJD president Lalu Prasad is camping, Besra said, “In Jharkhand, there will be no place for languages native to Bihar. For this, we will go to any extent to oppose the government which has stirred a hornet’s nest.”
Currently, several tribal groups are opposing the inclusion of Bhojpuri, Angika and other languages for the district-level recruitment tests after excluding them from the state level. Supporters of these languages are also opposing the exclusion from the state list.
“Before the formation of Jharkhand, tribals waged a war for a separate state to safeguard their cultural identity. Now, this issue has forced us to resume a similar fight once more,” Besra added.
Commenting briefly on the issue, Lalu had on Sunday said his party will protest tooth and nail against the removal of Bhojpur, Angika and Maghi from the regional language list of the state here.
“Andolan hoga (there will be stir),” he said, taking a dig at state education minister Jagarnath Mahto, who took a stand against the inclusion of these languages in Dhanbad and Bokaro.
Besra, on the other hand, dared, Mahto to resign from the cabinet if he was serious on the issue. “I was part of the statehood movement and in the 1990s, I had resigned as an MLA to demand a separate Jharkhand state. Mahto should resign if he is serious in fighting for our languages,” Besra said.
BJP, too, has been attacking the government over the removal of Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages from the state list.
Meanwhile, the communal violence in Barhi block of Hazaribag on February 6 when a 17-year-old-youth, Rupesh Kumar Pandey, was found murdered, is being played out as a government’s failure in curbing mob-lynching by the saffron party and other right-wing outfits.
Even though Hazaribag police rejected the portrayal of the incident as mob-lynching, BJP is unimpressed and different right-wing outfits are holding daily protests in different parts of the state, seeking ‘justice for Pandey’. Now, BJP leader from Delhi, Kapil Mishra, is expected to visit Pandey’s house in Barhi on February 16. State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, “We as an opposition has been raking up issues concerning public interest and we will not let our guards down “
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