Lagatar24 Desk
Dhanbad, Sept 23: The Kudmi Vikas Morcha (KVM) on Thursday morning took out ‘Padyatra’ from Binod Dham Baliapur of Dhanbad district to Ranchi Raj Bhawan for naming Bokaro airport after the name of former MP Binod Bihari Mahto, one of the Jharkhand movement founders.
The KVM, a social organization of the dominant Kudmi caste of Jharkhand, would hand over five points charter of demands to Governor Ramesh Bais and chief minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi on September 27. For this, KVM leaders along with thousands of members would cover 180 Kms long distance of Baliapur (Dhanbad) to Ranchi in five days ( from September 23 to 25).
As per the schedule, Padyatra started from Binod Dham, the birthplace of Binod Bihari Mahto at 9.30 am. Officially 100 leaders of the Morcha have taken part in the Padyatra but thousands of Kudmi Samaj members clad in traditional dress and carrying organization’s flags have joined it. One ambulance, one Binod Rath, two cars, and one bus were also included in ‘Padyatra’.
“ After the creation of separate Jharkhand state, Binod Babu has not been given recognition which he deserved. So, the KVM would hand over the clay of Binod Dham and a charter of demands to the Governor and the chief minister,” said Sheetal Ohdar, central committee president.
The major demands of the KVM include naming Bokaro airport after the name of Binod Bihari Mahto, the inclusion of his life in the curriculum, a memorial in Ranchi, and a statue in the assembly.
Notably, Binod Bihari Mahto along with Shibu Soren and former MP of Dhanbad AK Roy had jointly launched the Jharkhand movement in the 1970s which led to the creation of the Jharkhand state in 2000. Late Mahto was three times member of Bihar Vidhan Sabha in 1980, 1985 and 1990 and also a member of Lok Sabha from Giridih in 1991.
