Tension may run high on Saturday as Babulal Marandi-led JVM cadres have decided to hold a march to Raj Bhawan in support of their demand to get special
status for Jharkhand, while the Adivasi Moolwasi Janadhikar Manch spearheaded by Bandhu Tirkey, supporting the Hemant Soren Government, will be in the streets to enforce bandh for a domicile policy in the State.
About 25,000 youths would take part in the march that would submit a memorandum to the Governor signed by one lakh people from various villages and towns.
Incidentally, the domicile issue had rocked the State and cost Marandi, then in the BJP, his chief minister's chair in 2002. This is the second bandh in the last over one month by pro-tribal parties demanding a domicile policy, a promise made by Hemant Soren while donning the chief minister's chair.
No wonder, the JVM also supported Tirkey's November 30 bandh call for domicile policy, but suggested him first to withdraw support from the government. "Our moral support is with the domicile issue and the party wants it to be defined at the earliest. But Bandhu Tirkey has been a minister and now supporting the Government. But at the same time he is calling the bandh. First he should pull out from the government. I think, he is just doing this to get a lucrative post in the government," said Yadav while addressing a press conference.
Dubbing the AJSU's similar demand an eyewash, Yadav justified the plea citing poor HDI index of people of the State and even worst condition of infrastructure such as power and road. "34 per cent people are illiterate here and 40 per cent are BPl. 87 per cent have no access of clean drinking water. There are not enough medical and engineering colleges in the State. Jharkhand does not even have its own secretariat and Assembly buildings," said Yadav adding that the State needs no more loans but donations and tax reliefs that can come through granting special status only.
Meanwhile, Ranchi police is fully prepared to cope up with the clashes which might take place during the bandh called by Adivasi Moolwasi Janadhikar Manch and a rally called up by the JVM.
Ranchi Police has ensured that no any clash will take place as it has talked to both the parities who have promised to avoid clashes. Meanwhile, 29 magistrates with police forces have been deployed in Ranchi city to maintain law and order during the day.
"We have talked to both the parties who have ensured that they will not get indulged into any kind of clash against each other," said Ranchi SSP Bheemsen Tuti. The two parties themselves have also done a meeting for finding out ways so that no clash of interest takes place during their programmes on Saturday. They are said to have come on a consensus that they will avoid each other's people during their programmes, added the SSP.
"Earlier, a joint order was passed where deputation of police force at PS level was done but when it was found during the review that those arrangements were not adequate, an order of extra deployment of more police force was passed by the SSP," said City SP Manoj Ratan Chauthe.
In addition to that, water cannon and tear gas vehicles have been alerted at the sensitive squares like Kanta Toli, Radium Road and Shaheed Chowk. "Informal talks between the SSP and the party leaders from both the sides have also taken place where SSP has passed instructions that they will not indulge themselves in any kind of hooliganism, or action will be taken against them," added Chauthe. Yadav also expected that the march would see no confrontation with the bandh supporters.