SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad. April 29: Jharkhand statehood movement leaders have served an ultimatum to the government to either recognize the contribution of the leaders, who perished during agitation, for pension or face the agitation.
Statehood movement leader Jagat Mahto said that many leaders did not go to jail but they sacrificed their life, family and property in police case for participating the Jharkhand movement launched by Shibu Soren, Binod Bihari Mahto and AK Roy.
They have been denied pension that is allowed for the statehood movement leaders as they did not go jail during agitation. So, the movement leaders request the government to relax the norm of jail term for pension and include also the leaders who faced police cases and perished in agitation.
Mahto said altogether 43 leaders, including Mathura Prasad Mahto ( now MLA), Rekha Mandal, Kansari Mandal, Jagat Mahto and other had to face case filed by the GRP for stopping Rajdhani Express and other important trains at Dhanbad railway station on December 13, 1999. Some of them including Ram Prasad Turi, Layan Baski, Choheylal Tudu, Ramlal Majhi and Pawan Mahto died due to lack of treatment as they were not getting pension.
“ So, if the government failed to recognize such leaders as statehood movement leaders after relaxing the jail term criteria and five them pension within 30 days, agitation would be launched across Jharkhand. If needed such leaders would also move the High Court for justice,” said Jagat Mahto.
The Jharkhand statehood movement leaders are peeved that the Assembly Assurance Committee (Vidhan Sabha Aaswashan Samiti) was convened on April 28 in Ranchi to consider the pension issue for leaders who did not go jail but sacrificed life during agitation. But the meeting did not take place due to absence of members.
Sources said only chairman of the committee Deepak Birua turned up. Other members Baijnath Nath Ram, Lambodar Mahto, Narayan Das and Amba Prasad were absent. Now the meeting would be held on May 9.
