Report Wire

Tag: Dhanbad

  • Jairam Mahto, a Newcomer to Politics, Keenly Watched By All

    Ranchi: The supporters of Jairam Mahto are quick to show a video on their mobile phones. ‘Tiger Jairam Mahto’, as they call him, is addressing a rally in rain in Dumri addressing a thin crowd.

    “He speaks for us and that’s why people listen to him even if it is raining,” Hikim Mahto, a farmer in Jojodih village of Tamar assembly constituency, told ET.

    Jairam Mahto, a 30yearold who belonged to a village in Dhanbad district, was first noticed in January 2022, when he started the Jharkhand language movement against the government decision to notify Bhojpuri and Magahi as regional languages ​​in the state. He started a movement for Jharkhand language and rights of the people of the state and became popular in Dhanbad and nearby areas. In the recent general election, he formed the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) party and contested eight Lok Sabha seats out of 15. in the state. Mahto himself got more than 300,000 votes in Giridih and was leading in two assembly segments despite finishing third.

    “In all eight seats we got around nine lakh votes. This was just the beginning, and our presence will be visible in the assembly election,” Mahto told ET.

    He is contesting from two assembly seats Dumri and Bermo and his party is contesting 69 seats out of 81 in the state.Mahto comes from the influential Kurmi community, which accounts for about 15 per cent of the state population, the second largest block. after the tribal community.Largely he is finding a support base among the Kurmi community. “We have tried everyone. This time our boy is contesting the election. We are willing to give him a chance,” said Gulab Mahto, a tea shop owner in Hanthi Tand, Kharsawan.

    Jairam Mahto claims that he is getting support across communities.

    “Our Lok Sabha candidate in Ranchi got 132,000 votes. How is it possible without the support from all the communities?” he said.

    Mahto was silent about alliance prospects and said he wanted to be equidistant from both the NDA and INDIA bloc.

    “We are trying to give a new alternative to the people of the state. Let the result come and these things can be discussed later. Our ideology is the development of people of Jharkhand,” he said.

    His party is being keenly watched by both the NDA and INDIA bloc. For AJSU leader Sudesh Mahto, Jairam Mahto is a direct competitor with appeal in similar voter groups.

    “Jairam Mahto may have influence in a few regions, and he is trying to emerge on the political scene. But his politics is dividing the people among caste groups. He won’t succeed as BJP talks of unity among the people,” Pradeep Sinha , state BJP spokesperson, told ET.

    INDIA alliance parties are also working on strategies to reduce the JLKM impact in the upcoming polls.

    On Thursday, JKLM candidate from Gandey, Aqeel Akhtar alias Rizwan Krantikari, joined the JMM in the presence of Hemant Soren. Akhtar was a close friend of Jairam and the Muslim face of his party. The JMM has fielded Kalpana Soren from Gandey seat with a sizable Muslim population.

    “Everyone is targeting us. They have power and money. We have people’s support. We are not afraid, and no one can stop us,” said Jairam Mahto.

  • Illegal coal mine collapses in Nirsa, Dhanbad, two dead

    Illegal Coal Mine:- At least two people died due to mine collapse during illegal coal mining in Mugma area of ​​Eastern Coalfields Limited in Nirsa police station area of ​​Dhanbad, while about a dozen people were trapped in the mine or buried under the debris. It is suspected to happen. The accident happened on Monday morning. This mine of ECL, which is being run on outsourcing basis in Kapasara of Mugma area, has been closed for the last few months, but illegal mining continues here. It was told that on the intervening night of Sunday-Monday, more than a dozen people had come to the mine to do illegal mining. During this time the roof of the mine caved in. Two people died after being buried under its debris. The bodies of the dead were taken away by the local people. Among the deceased, the names of Yamuna Rajvanshi, resident of Siyaraknali of Agyarkund Panchayat and Tapas Das, resident of Kesharcooler are being mentioned.

    It is said that a dozen people are still trapped in the mine. A crowd of people has gathered near the sunken mine. Here, no responsible officer of ECL management has reached the spot till the time of writing the news. However, ECL is sending JCB machine to carry out earth filling work near the sunken mine. Local people are agitated after the accident. They are blaming ECL for this accident. Local BJP leader Pradeep Bauri and JMM leader Lakhi Devi, who reached the spot, said that such incidents are happening every day, but no arrangements are being made by the ECL management. There are no security arrangements nor has any wall or barbed wire been cordoned off. Kapasara Outsourcing mine has been closed for the last five months and the management has left it open. This is the reason why people here become victims of accidents while doing illegal mining. (IANS)