Kharsawan, Shachindra Kumar Dash/Pratap Mishra: The Kharsawan massacre, the first biggest massacre of independent India, remains an inexplicable puzzle even after 76 years. On January 1, 1948, there was indiscriminate firing on the tribals who were peacefully protesting for their rights in Kharsawan Haat. A tribunal was formed to investigate the shooting, but its report was not made public. There is no document as to how many people were killed in the incident. A large number of people sacrificed their lives in the firing. Even history can never forget the sacrifice of the martyrs of Kharsawan.
Kharsawan and Seraikela princely states were to be merged into Odisha.
It is said that on August 15, 1947, the country was going through the phase of reorganization of states after independence. The then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel started the process of unification of the country by merging the princely states. The princely states were divided into 3 categories: A- Large princely states, B- Medium and C- Small princely states. At that time Kharsawan and Seraikela were small princely states. These were kept in C-category. Informally, on 14-15 December, an agreement was reached to merge the princely states of Kharsawan and Seraikela with Odisha. The agreement was to come into force from January 1, 1948.
There was indiscriminate firing on the people attending the public meeting.
On January 1, 1948, tribal leader Jaipal Singh called for a huge public meeting at Kharsawan Haat ground to protest against the merger of Kharsawan and Seraikela into Odisha. Thousands of people from different areas of Kolhan had attended the public meeting. In view of this, adequate number of police forces were deployed. Due to some reason Jaipal Singh could not reach the public meeting. There was a conflict between the police and the people attending the public meeting over some issue. Suddenly the police personnel opened fire indiscriminately. Hundreds of people were shot in this. Kharsawan Haat ground was red with the blood of tribals.
The dead bodies were thrown into the well and filled with soil.
The number of dead in the shooting has not been known till date. It is said that the dead bodies were filled in a well located at Kharsawan Haat ground and soil was poured on top. Today this place has been converted into Shaheed Bedi and Haat Maidan Shaheed Park. It is said that after the shooting there was a reaction in the entire country. The then socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia had compared the Kharsawan firing with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Bihar politicians did not want merger with Odisha
In those days, the leaders of Bihar had an important place in the politics of the country. He did not want the merger of Seraikela and Kharsawan into Odisha. The effect of this incident was that both the princely states were merged into the state of Bihar instead of Odisha.
There is no government document indicating the number of martyrs
– 30 KSN 3: News regarding the incident published in the English newspaper ‘The Statesman’ on January 3, 1948.
– 30 KSN 4, 5: Former MP and Maharaja PK Dev’s book ”Memoir of a Bygone Era”, where it has been said that two thousand people were killed in this incident.
There is a separate chapter on the Kharsawan firing incident in the book ‘Documents of Jharkhand Movement: Exploitation, Struggle and Martyrdom’ by Anuj Kumar Sinha, senior journalist and executive editor of ‘BollywoodWallah’ Jharkhand. He writes, there is very little documentation available about the number of people killed. According to former MP cum Maharaja PK Dev’s book “Memoir of a Bygone Era”, two thousand people were killed in the incident. However, the English newspaper The Statesman, published from Calcutta (now Kolkata), published a news related to the incident in its January 3 issue, the third day after the incident, with the headline – ’35 tribals killed in Kharsawan’. The newspaper wrote in its report that the police opened fire on 30 thousand tribals who were protesting against the merger of Kharsawan with Odisha. A tribunal was formed to investigate this shooting, but no one knows what happened to its report.
Dependents of two martyrs got respect at government level
In the year 2016, the then Chief Minister Raghubar Das had honored the dependents of two martyrs of Kharsawan firing, Mahadev Buta (Kharsawan), Singrai Bodra of Buta (Kharsawan) and Dolo Manki Soy of Baidih (Kuchai) by giving them an amount of Rs 1 lakh each. Apart from these, no other martyr has been identified at the government level. Local MLA Dashrath Gagrai has also been quite vocal in Vis regarding this issue. He has many times demanded to honor the dependents of martyrs at the government level.
Kharsawan Shaheed Park is built with Rs 2.20 crore
Martyr Park was constructed in the year 2016 at a cost of about Rs 2.20 crore. Shaheed Park was renovated by painting it. There is Shaheed Bedi in the Shaheed Park complex, where people pay homage. At this place people pay homage on 1st January. Vijay Singh Bodra is currently the priest of the martyr place. His family has been conducting puja here for generations. Vijay told that on January 1, worship is done in the name of martyrs. Along with flowers and garlands, oil is also offered at the martyr’s site.
First Diuri will worship, after this people will pay tribute.
On January 1, on the anniversary of the martyrs of Kharsawan, there is a stream of people paying tribute from morning till late evening. First of all, Diuri Vijay Singh Bodra of Behrasahi pays homage by performing formal puja. After this, everyone from common people to special people arrive to pay tribute. Various social and political organizations will pay tribute to the martyrs of Kharsawan.
archways built at various places
On the occasion of Kharsawan Martyrs’ Day, archways have been built on the roads leading to Kharsawan Martyrs Park. The arch gates are named after martyrs. In Chandni Chowk and surrounding areas of Kharsawan, archways have been installed at various places by various political parties and social organizations. There is a ban on entering Shaheed Park wearing shoes or slippers or carrying the flag or banner of a political party. A control room has been built near the main gate of Shaheed Park.
Tight security arrangements in Shaheed Park, surveillance through CCTV cameras
Tight security arrangements have been made for the arrival of high profile leaders in the Martyrs’ Day programme. Regarding the Martyr’s Day programme, drop gates have been made at different places and security forces and magistrates have been deputed. From security point of view, surveillance is being done by installing CCTV cameras inside Shaheed Park and Chandni Chowk. Drone cameras will also be used. Two separate gates have been made for entry and exit from the main gate of Shaheed Park.