Amidst the pricing chill and Republic Day celebrations, hundreds of agitated displaced launched Jal Satyagraha with shouting slogans Aaj Gandhi Ke Raste, Kal Netaji Ke Raste at Bokaro on Sunday.
Alleging the apathetic attitude of Bokaro Steel Plant’s Management in providing jobs and compensation, displaced people launched the protest for indefinite period amidst dipping mercury with the bone-penetrating cold waves.
After 32 hours (on Monday) the protest (Jal Satyagraha) was lift-up with the intervention of district administration officials who promised a positive triangular talk on February 6 with the BSl management in presence of district administrative officials.
Carrying the national tricolour hundreds of agitated displace youth assembled near Two Tank Garden in front of BSl’s administrative building; about 10 am protestors step-down in lake to launch the Jal Satyagraha.
Few hours’ later condition of five protestors — Gauri Shankar, Sukhdeo lahari, Babuchand, Baburam Saw and Rajkumar Mahato — who were in neck-deep water become critical. later two of them Baburam and Rajkumar were immediately rushed to the Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) where their conditions are said to be stable, hospital sources said.
“At the time of acquiring our lands to set up plant company had promised us to provide jobs to 24,000 identified displaced people; now failed from their promise”, alleged Chandrakant Kushwaha.
“We will step up our agitation if our demands not met,” said Navin Kumar Mishra. He also threatens to hold a massive demonstration.
Notably, most of the displaced groups are demanding from BSl to provide jobs in bulk while the BSl management has declared that it has already provided jobs to about 16,000 displaced people earlier.