Creating history by making the longest human chain in Jharkhand, AJSU party called it a remarkable achievement which proved that the people would not agree on anything less than special status for the State. AJSU party on Wednesday created longest ever human chain in Jharkhand covering a total of 343 km of distance on National Highway 33 from Barhi (Hazaribagh) to Bahragora (East Singhbhum). Party sources claimed that over 3 lakh people actively participated to complete the chain.
Talking to the media persons, party president Sudesh Mahto said that it was an effort to conclude the battle for the rights of the people Jharkhand. "I am happy that the people came out on roads on our appeal to register the demand of special status for the state. Now to press our demand of special status, we will take this battle to New Delhi," said Mahto.
Mahto reiterated that "a wrong image had been put before the country that Jharkhand is a rich state; we want Indian Government to reconsider its stand on the status of the State". Mahto said that recommendations made by the Raghuram Rajan Committee has proved that Jharkhand needs special attention as it is among one of the most backward states of the country. "The recommendations of Raghuram Rajan Committee enforce our demand of special status for the State as it fulfills all the parameters for special status," he added.
According to the party vice president Praveen Prabhakar, people of all background took active participation to complete the human chain. "Despite rain, ladies, gents, old age people and children had come forward on our appeal to complete the human chain," said Prabhakar. The human chain went through Hazaribagh, Ramgarh,Ormanjhi, Ranchi, Kharsawan-Saraikela and East Singhbhum. Senior party leaders stationed in different zones boosted up the morale of the party workers.
To manage the crowd, volunteers were appointed as team leaders with a responsibility to gather 50 people from their locality, who had also been assigned to keep the crowd standing during the programme. A mobile van was given for each 5 km distance to communicate the messages of AJSU chief. Students, intellectuals, advocates, businessmen, farmers and professionals as well as kids in white T-shirts and white caps along with the banners and posters put on both sides of the roads demanding special status for the state gave a spectacular view along the chain. Kilometer long banners on eight different locations demanding special status for Jharkhand held by the people were the main attraction of the day.
To attract more and more people cultural programmes were performed by various local artists at different locations along the chain. Roads of Jharkrhand were echoed by the beats of hundreds of nagada and paika at different locations along the chain. "International folk artist Nandlal Nayak also performed on Ramgarh -Ranchi road today," said Himanshu, an AJSU party.