Detained in Ranchi while paying tribute to Birsa Munda, Adivasi activists allege ‘forced silence, erasure of sacred spaces'

Indian Express

4 hours ago

All India Adivasi Mahasabha president Geetashree Oraon, the daughter of the late Congress leader Kartik Oraon, and other activists were detained by police on Monday while paying tribute to freedom fighter Birsa Munda in Ranchi on the occasion of Birsa Munda Shahadat Diwas.
The detentions took place at the historic Bhagwan Birsa Munda Shahadat Sthal, located near the old Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi, where the tribal icon is believed to have died in British custody on June 9, 1900.
According to Oraon, the police and administrative officials arrived at the site ahead of the scheduled visit of the Jharkhand Governor and asked them to vacate the area, citing security concerns.
'We were peacefully paying tribute to our icon with our traditional customs and in the presence of our Pahan, the tribal priest. But the ADM told us we don't have the right to pay homage to Birsa Munda here,' Oraon told The Indian Express. 'There were people from various parties sitting nearby like JMM, BJP, yet only we Adivasis were detained and taken to Namkum police station.'
Oraon said the tribute ceremony was being conducted under Adivasi customs. 'We were not protesting. We were observing a sacred day, and we were doing so as per our faith,' she said.
Adivasi groups have expressed outrage over the detentions, calling them disrespectful and symbolic of the state's growing insensitivity to tribal rights and identity, even under a government led by a tribal Chief Minister.
This also comes amid growing discontent among tribal communities in Jharkhand, particularly in and around Ranchi. In recent days, Adivasi organisations have raised objections to the inauguration of the Siramtoli Flyover, which reportedly encroaches upon a Sarna religious site — sacred to tribal communities. The flyover's ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 5.
'We're witnessing a pattern — cultural disregard, forced silence, and erasure of sacred spaces,' Oraon said. 'Even in an Adivasi-ruled state, Adivasis are being pushed to the margins.'
When contacted, ADM (Law and Order) Raj Shekhar Alok said the detentions were made to ensure smooth movement and security arrangements for the Governor's official visit, adding that no permission had been granted for any gathering at the site during that time.
'There was a scheduled programme at the Shahadat Sthal involving the Governor and the Chief Minister. The Adivasi group was asked to either finish their tribute before the VVIPs' arrival or wait until the programme concluded. However, they refused to cooperate, saying more of their people were yet to arrive. Since they did not vacate the space despite repeated requests, they were removed and taken to the police station,' he said.
Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India.
Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions.
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