Kharsawan Firing Anniversary: CM Announces Judicial Inquiry to Honour Tribal Martyrs

Ranchi: For Kharsawan in Jharkhand, January 1 is not a day of celebration but a reminder of one of the darkest chapters in tribal history. On this day in 1948, barely months after Independence, police opened fire on unarmed tribal protesters in Kharsawan, killing scores in an incident often compared to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The firing took place when thousands of tribals assembled to protest the proposed merger of the princely states of Kharsawan and Seraikela with the then Orissa. The protest stemmed from demands for a separate state and was met with brutal police action.

On Thursday, people from across the region gathered at the Martyrs’ Memorial in Kharsawan to pay tribute to those who were killed. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, along with several senior leaders including former Chief Minister Arjun Munda and other MPs and MLAs, offered floral tributes.

Announcing a major step, Chief Minister Soren said the state government would constitute a judicial panel to identify and honour the martyrs of the Kharsawan firing. He stated that a draft had already been prepared and a commission comprising retired judges would be formed. The process of honouring the martyrs would be completed before the next Martyrs’ Day.

Soren said that while the world welcomes January 1 as New Year’s Day, for Jharkhand’s tribals, farmers, labourers, and indigenous communities, the day is observed as Martyrs’ Day. He described Jharkhand as a land of sacrifice, shaped by repeated struggles and martyrdom.

The incident was linked to the reorganisation of princely states after Independence. Under the leadership of tribal icon Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda, a massive public meeting was organised at the Kharsawan Haat ground on January 1, 1948. Activists from several parts of present-day Jharkhand had gathered, though Jaipal Singh Munda himself could not attend.

When the crowd later moved towards the royal palace to submit their demands, police forces deployed by the Orissa government opened fire after the protesters ignored warnings to stop.

The Kharsawan firing remains one of the most violent suppressions of a tribal movement in India. Jaipal Singh Munda later alleged that bodies were strewn across the market area and that the administration sealed the region before disposing of the bodies secretly. To this day, the exact number of those killed remains unknown, and the inquiry report has never been officially released.

With inputs from IANS