Time flies! It's 12 years since the Jurist and renowned political activist who spearheaded the movement for separation of Jharkhand from Bihar in 1998-99, Justice LPN Shahdeo breathed his last at the age of 82 on 10th January 2012.
Lal Pingla Nath Shahdeo (3 January 1930 – 10 January 2012), was an Indian jurist and political activist. He had led a movement for separate Jharkhand state in 1998-99 by forming committees of all political parties. He helped in achieving the status of a separate state for Jharkhand.
He was born on 3 January 1930 in a Nagvanshi royal family in Kaamta village of Latehar district in Bihar and Orissa Province (now Jharkhand). He completed his primary education in a government school and matriculation from Balkrishna High school in Ranchi. After graduation from Ranchi College, he completed his study of law in 1954.
Justice Shahdeo joined judicial services in 1958 and his first posting was at the post of munsif in Hazaribagh. He became the first person of Jharkhand to become a judge in the High Court. He became the district and session judge of Dhanbad in 1989. He was the judge at Ranchi bench of Patna High Court from 1986 to 1992.
He was a supporter of a separate state for a long time. In 1992, after retiring from the High Court, he started supporting the movement on public platforms, through his writings in local newspapers and helping in legal issues. He led the movement in 1998-99, when the movement was falling apart. In 1998, the Union government decided to send the Bill concerning formation of Jharkhand State to Bihar Legislative Assembly to which Lalu Prasad Yadav had said that the State would be divided over his dead body.
BJP, JMM, AJSU, Congress, a total of 16 political parties came on one platform and formed 'All Party Separate State Formation Committee' to start the movement. Justice Shahdeo was elected as the convener of the committee.
The voting on Jharkhand Act was to be done on 21 September 1998 in Bihar legislation. On that day, the committee under the leadership of Justice Shahdeo called for Jharkhand Bandh and organised a protest march. Thousands of supporters of the separate state took to the streets under the leadership of Justice Shadeo with the slogan "Pehle mati, fir Party." He was arrested and detained in kotwali police station of Ranchi for hours along with many supporters.
Late Justice Shahdeo was married to Mrs Prabha Shahdeo and has five children including a son Pratul Shahdeo, a senior BJP leader who is currently the spokesperson of Jharkhand BJP.