SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE JHARKHAND MOVEMENT C. 1930-2001 Thesis submitted to the Vidyasagar University Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal For the award of degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (ARTS) IN HISTORY BY PRASENJIT GHOSH Department of History Vidyasagar University 2015 DEDICATED TO My beloved parents Mr. Pabitra Kumar Ghosh & Mrs. Jyotsna Ghosh ii DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE I hereby declare that the thesis entitled “SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE JHARKHAND MOVEMENT C.1930-2001” is my own bonafide research work and effort and that it has not been submitted anywhere for any award or diploma. This thesis is a presentation of my original research work prepared only for the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in History under Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature, and acknowledgement of different personalities I met during my visit to various places of Jharkhand and Bihar for preparation of this thesis. Dated: 30th October 2015 Vidyasagar University Paschim Medinipur (PRASENJIT GHOSH) iii PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The state of Jharkhand was born on 15th November in the year 2000 after a long unremitting struggle against all sorts of threat created by the state agencies in colonial and post colonial time. Jharkhand movement was one of the oldest autonomy movements in India, probably started in the last part of the 18th century and continued through various tribal uprisings till the state formation. But in modern sense it was come into being in the year 1930 when demand for separate state was placed before Simon Commission. But when we discuss about the historical importance of the old tribal movements we can see that the major subject of those movement was mainly rights of lands and forests. But ultimately these subjects have gradually lost under politicization and demand for new state by the political parties. Though during the year 1970 an effort was made to bring back the old demands. But there is no doubt that the power of the national politics and unacceptability of the regional political leaderships Jharkhand Movement was gradually losing its power. It was prominent because when the government under the leadership of B.J.P using its ideological weapon created new state of Jharkhand through some revsion of old demands and policies. In view of getting deeper into and detail study of the Jharkhand movement I have opted social and ecological dimensions of the movement which in my perception is important because it is reflected in the demand of the autonomy movement. By exploring the ecological dimensions of tribal mobilization, in view of great importance of cultural identity in such mobilization, that the present thesis is been prepared, but in real term it subsumed in popular political culture as it goes closer to political understanding. However it is really painful for any researcher that the availability of records does not draw any significant information because from 1940s there is a serious absence of proper records in archival rooms. In this juncture to reconstruct a more intimate narrative of the movement I have to depends on news papers and secondary sources which are vastly available. Apart from this it is stringent to note that the new born state is still undertaken movements for greater Jharkhand because though the new state has come into being solution of problems has not iv yet been achieved. In many forest areas miscreants are cutting the woods from the jungle and supplying outside in high prices. As a result of ecological balance of the state is being jeopardized. Naxal movements in vast area of Jharkhand have really created big problems in the state. Planning of the government for the development of the state is greatly wanting. Tribals are not getting any benefit of the governmental benefit. Sons and daughter of the forests are facing many crises and practically they are living outside the lap of the forests. There is no genuine purpose on the part of the government to protect the history of the tribal people. There is no doubt that presences of large number of migrants have brought great changes into the life of the tribal people. Traditional institutions also are having great change. There is no effort on the part of government to protect the old tribal institutions. So it is quiet a problem to say where this acculturation process will end. In the course of the study I have been helped by many persons both directly and undirectly. Here at first I owe my debt to my research guide Prof. Ujjayan Bhattacharya. He has made many reasonable solutions of many problems and has helped in writing this theis. I am indebted to Dr. Swapan Kimar Misra, Principal of Mugberia Gangadhar Mahavidyalaya where I worked as Assistant Professor in History since 2003. He has given me great inspiration in various matters. My father Sri Pabitra Kumar Ghosh and my mother Smt. Jyotsna Ghosh not only inspired me to write the thesis but they created congenial atmosphere in my house to write the thesis. I shall remain indebted to them throughout my life. I have been greatly influenced and relentlessly supported by my wife Debjani and my son Rairik. They have inspired me in many ways. My sister Papiya Bera and brother-in-law Mr. Kausik Bera have been really helped me in regard to this theis. I am especially indebted to my teacher Centenary Professor Bhaskar Chakraborty and Nurul Hasan Professor Arun Bandyopadhaya of Calcutta University. Undoubtedly I have been greatly influenced to write my thesis by their blessings. My colleagues of my college Dr. Saikat Kumar Seth, Dr.Kalipada Maity, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Samanta have helped me with some important opinion in some harder matter in solving some harder problem in my research work. v Besides them, I owe my indebtness to all officers and staff of Bihar State Archive, Patna, especially Research Assistant Sri Ramkumar Singh, Dr. Koushal Kishore Singh, Dr. Mina Kumari, and other staff members of Jharkhand Regional Archive, Ranchi, Staff members of Ranchi Express, Pravat Khabar, all the members of the National Library Kolkata, All the members of Cultural Research Institute (CRI) of Kolkata. I show great respect to Dr. Suhrid Kumar Bhowmick. He has helped me in many ways. I would also grateful to many others for their advice and assistance in solving various problems encountered by me during the study period. I owe my indebtness to Tribal Research Institute Ranchi and I also owe my indebtness to Father Franken of Ranchi. He brought to my notice many old incidents. I owe my indebtness to Mr. Soumen Bhattacharya of Palpara Mahavidyalaya for his advice to many questions directly related with tribal history. I also sincerely acknowledge my onetime colleague Dr. Santanu Rakshit presently working in Viswabharati University, he has helped me in many ways. I cannot acknowledge by names of so many persons I talked during the preparation of this thesis. Therefore I owe my indebtness to all of them who helped me directly and indirectly in my research work. 30th October, 2015 Vidyasagar University Paschim Medinipur (PRASENJIT GHOSH) vi CONTENTS Page Preface and Acknowledgement .................................................................................................. iv-vi Tables, Figures and Appendices ................................................................................................. ix Abbreviation .............................................................................................................................. x List of published/accepted papers ............................................................................................. xi Chapter-1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1-12 Chapter-2 The importance of the region in the analysis of the Jharkhand Movement: Interrelatedness and interactions of the social, ecological and political factors that gave rise to the movement 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 13-16 2.2 The question of early discontents on the basis of regional setting ...................................... 16-18 2.2.1 Physiographic nature of Jharkhand State ................................................................... 19-25 2.3 Finding ecology and Jharkhand Movement: A close proximity? ........................................ 25-34 2.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 34-35 Chapter-3 Colonial origins of the movement: Colonialism and the pressure on tribal land: Notion of ownership and its socio-cultural consequences 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 36-37 3.2 History of subjugation: The early colonial period ............................................................... 37-42 3.3 Colonialism and the conflict over tribal lands, and the ownership issues in Jharkhand ...... 42-49 3.4 The historical memories and the ideas of homeland ........................................................... 49-57 3.5 Ecological prudence inscribed in culture: The agricultural practices and its influence in the Jharkhand Movement ...................................................................................................