‘Mai Mati’ drama staged on identity of Jharkhand

Source: dailypioneer.com

To promote the art and culture of Jharkhand, the Department of Tourism, Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs in collaboration with Nav Pratibha Sansthan, Ranchi presented a drama ‘Mai Mati’ on February 10 at Sushila Palace in Ranchi.

The chief guest for the occasion was MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto. Assistant Director Art and Culture Department Vijay Paswan, Food Safety Commission member Hardhar Mahto, Padma Shri recipients Mukund Nayak and Madhi Mansuri Hasmukh were also present on the occasion with others.

The main focus of the drama was to give a message that State can protect Jul Jungle Zameen only by following the footsteps of the brave sons of State.

The artist through the drama also tried to give a message on how the sons of soil fought to protect Jul Jungle Zameen and also against the mighty Mughals and British.

In the drama, the saga of Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo was also staged in a simplified way. It also urged the audience to beware of trouble makers in the State.

Neha Navneeta did justice to her character along with Vinod Mahto and Jaideep Sahay who demonstrated superb acting skills as Englishmen. Actor Sanjay Nayak who portrayed the role of a soldier urged the people to fight for their rights.

The Chief Guest for the occasion MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto praised the performances of the artists and said that Jharkhand is a rich centre of art and culture and both art and artists need to be preserved.

Member of Food Safety Commission said that Jharkhand is identified with culture and the people in the rural areas have managed to preserve it.

Jharkhand infant dies after vaccination

Source: thehindu.com

Probe ordered by health department

An infant has died after he was administered a vaccine at a government health centre in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, Health officials said here on Sunday.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, they said.

Ramgarh Civil Surgeon Dr. Neelam Chaudhary said that three-month-old male child died on February 6 after being administered Penta-2 vaccine to protect from multi-diseases.

The Civil Surgeon said that a probe has been ordered by the health department after the incident came to light, adding that the District Rural Child Health Officer Dr. Vinay Mishra would inquire into the death of the infant.

The infant, identified as Rohan Kumar, son of Rohit Mahato of Patratu village under Gola block of the district died after he was given the vaccine in the government health centre at Gola, said another government official.

Mithlesh Singh, a local representative of the World Health Organisation, said that a case reporting format has been furnished with details of the death of the child after vaccination, adding “the vaccine is safe and given to other children also”.

Jharkhand vibes in Gujarat

Source: telegraphindia.com

Jharkhand’s colours and culture served as a confluence for the east and west traditions of India at one platform in Ahmedabad recently.

Organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), Kalamandir, in Jamshedpur and Virasat Trust in Hazaribagh, the Jharkhand Festival with a tagline “Chalo Fariye Jharkhand Amdavadma” was a three-day affair from January 31 to February 2 at Natarani Amphitheatre in Ahmedabad’s Darpana Dance Academy.

This was the first Jharkhand Fest organised in Gujarat.

A team of more than 60 artists, social activists and experts from Jharkhand were a part of the festival.

From Jharkhandi food — jil peetha and dhuska — to painting demonstration and workshops on sohrai and pyatkar, the fest was a new experience for the Gujarati community.

“The idea was to know other states. Jharkhand is unexplored. We in Ahmedabad know about Maharashtra and even the Northeast but if you ask someone in Ahmedabad about Jharkhand, I wonder if you will get a reply despite the fact that the state is so rich in culture and has had its share of struggles to get its own identity. We not only did a lot of publicity for masses to walk in and experience the state culture but we also enjoyed researching about it,” said Priyakshi Agarwal, from the marketing and logistics department of Natarani Amphitheatre.

“The response was positive. For many it was a first-time experience. Even the participating artists were happy to have performed and participated in this unique three-day fest,” said Amitava Ghosh, co-convenor, Intach, Jharkhand.

Jharkhand: Constable kills wife, 2 children with hammer in Ranchi

Source: indiatoday.in

The accused, constable Brajesh Tiwari, killed his wife, teenage daughter and son with a hammer and a knife and later tried to commit suicide by consuming poison.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The deceased have been identified as wife, daughter and son of a police constable named Brijesh Tiwari
  • Brajesh Tiwari killed his wife, teenage daughter and son with a hammer and a knife
  • The accused was reportedly in an inebriated condition at the time of committing the crime

In what is being suspected as a case of honour killing, a police constable murdered three members of his family, including two children, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, police said on Saturday.

The deceased have been identified as wife, daughter and son of a police constable named Brijesh Tiwari.

The accused, constable Brijesh Tiwari, was reportedly in an inebriated condition at the time of committing the crime.

Brajesh Tiwari killed his wife, teenage daughter and son with a hammer and a knife and later tried to commit suicide by consuming poison. The accused constable is undergoing treatment at a hospital and said to be in a critical condition.

According to locals, the accused constable’s daughter was having an affair with a guy from another community, and this might have been the reason behind the crime.

According to preliminary investigation, the accused, after killing his wife and two children, called his sister who lives in Pandara in Ranchi and said “I have killed the three”.

Following this, Brijesh’s sister reached the scene with her family immediately. The murderer’s sister then woke up his landlord, Baldev Sahu, and told him about the killing.

The landlord said that he had never seen the couple fighting. He added that there was a bottle of liquor, rat medicine and other medicines at the crime scene.

Landlord Baldev Sahu also said that Brajesh’s family had been living in that house for the last two years but never witnessed a quarrel within the family.

Sahu suspected that the accused may have fed his wife and children some medicines which made them unconscious and then carried out murder.

Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet ends on high note

Source: dailypioneer.com

The Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet (TSJLM) was marked with mesmerising performances and enriching dialogue on the concluding day on Sunday.

The two-day cultural extravaganza drew to a close with a singularly unique and enrapturing performance by veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor. In a dramatic reading of his debut novel Dopehri, the thespian held the packed audience enthralled with his act, produced in the inimitable styling of Supriya Pathak.

Literary icon and arguable the most adored author of contemporary English literature in India, Ruskin Bond returned to the stage for the second time during this year’s TSJLM for a captivating session on the evolution of his murder mysteries. With a full house in attendance, Bond spoke about how he drew inspiration from day-to-day subjects and his immediate environment to develop his characters and narrative.

In his first visit to the city, journalist and renowned activist of the LGBTQ plus community Nemat Sadat spoke about the importance of acceptance and tolerance in his session. This was preceded by an informative dialogue between respected writers Gourahari Das and Mahadeo Toppo who spoke about the importance of literature in helping us transcend boundaries. The third edition of TSJLM also tipped its hat to poetry with a special session Hussain Haidry, Vandana Tete and Raga D’Silva.

The queen of pop who has entertained millions with her evergreen songs, Usha Uthup was also present at TSJLM to talk about her biography Ullas Ki Naav. Apart from endearing nuggets from her rich and prolific career, Uthup had the audience clapping along as she entertained those gathered with renditions of some of her popular songs.

“With this third edition of Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet coming to an end on Sunday, I am happy to acknowledge the growing popularity of this event year on year. Tata Steel has always taken pride in associating itself with events that not only bring communities together but also give them a platform to engage and interact,” said Chief, Corporate Communications – India and SEA, Tata Steel, Kulvin Suri.

Suri said, “Like every year, this meet offered a plethora of sessions to cater to diverse literary and cultural preferences. The success of this edition of TSJLM gives us the confidence that this is an ideal platform for relevant discussions and conversations and reaffirms our commitment to support such events in the future.”

Jharkhand Forest Officials Apply ‘Archimedes’ Principle’ to Rescue Elephant from Well.

Source – news18.com

Forest Department officials in Jharkhand are being hailed for tactfully rescuing a stranded elephant by applying ‘Archimedes Principle’ on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the Amliya toli village of Gumla distric, where an elephant had fallen into a well and locals had to rope in forest department officials to run the rescue operation.

According to reports, the rescue operation started at 7 am and lasted for three hours where the team applied the scientific principle.

Applying Archimedes’ ‘upward buoyant force’ theory, the team first filled the well with water by using a motorised pump. Eventually the elephant floated up and the ramp was raised for it to climb out.

The video was shared by an IFS person Ramesh Pandey, who said, “Heartwarming pictures of how intelligently the team @dfogumla and villagers using Archimedes’s physical law of buoyancy save an elephant calf who had fell in a well. They pumped water into well to float the elephant to surface. Great work. “

The viral tweet went on to receive a lot of love and praise from netizens, who commended the rescue team’s efforts of applying science.

Jharkhand govt trying to cover up killings of tribals for opposing Pathalgarhi movement: BJP

Source – outlookindia.com

The BJP on Thursday accused the JMM-led government in Jharkhand of trying to cover up the killings of seven villagers in West Singhbhum district for allegedly opposing ”Pathalgarhi”, a self-rule movement.

Supporters of the movement had allegedly kidnapped seven villagers of Burugulikera in Guddi block on January 21 and killed them for opposing their stir. The mutilated bodies were recovered from a forest around 4 kilometres from the village the next day.

Following the incident, BJP president JP Nadda formed a party delegation to visit the West Singhbhum district. The delegation comprised Jaswant Singh Bhabhor (MP from Gujarat), Samir Oraon (MP from Jharkhand), Bharati Pawar (parliamentarian from Maharashtra), Gomti Saai (Chhattisgarh Lok Sabha member), Joan Barla (LS member from West Bengal) and former Jharkhand minister and MLA Nilkanth Singh Munda.

The delegation on Wednesday met Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah and submitted the report on the incident.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Oraon said the JMM-led Jharkhand government, of which the Congress is a part, “is trying to cover up the incident.”

“The state government got into action two days after the incident and is now trying to cover up the incident to safeguard the perpetrators of this heinous crime in which innocent tribals were killed,” he said.

Oraon said the incident took place after Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that all cases against ”Pathalgarhi” activists will be taken back.

The Pathalgarhi movement is a name given to a tribal protest for autonomy to Gramsabha (village council). Its proponents want no laws of the land be applicable to the tribal people in the area and refuse to accept government”s rights over forests and rivers.

Its supporters carve their diktat on rocks in their areas of influence. The name ”Pathalgarhi” is derived from the practice of carving the edicts of the leaders of the movement on large stones called ”pathal” in local language, while garhi means carving.

The killings that took place days after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29, triggered widespread outrage and CM Soren ordered an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT).

Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the killings, according to police.

Ranji Trophy: Pulkit claims six-for as Services beat Jharkhand.

Source – outlookindia.com

Offspinner Pulkit Narang claimed 6/58 to precipitate a Jharkhand collapse and hand Services victory by 118 runs in an Elite Group C Ranji Trophy match at the Air Force Complex ground, Palam here on Thursday.

Jharkhand were 158/1, and then 190/2 – but were shot out for 267.

Narang had never taken more than three wickets in a match earlier, but was on song as he added to the 2-0-7-1 he had in the first innings. He returned match figures of 7/65 and duly grabbed the Man of the Match award.

This has dealt a huge blow to Jharkhand”s chances of challenging for a place in the top two and making it to the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Bengal had rain to blame as they frittered three points and had to split one point against Delhi in a Group A tie in Kolkata.

Only seven overs of play was possible on Day 4 where Delhi reached 242/7 in reply to Bengal”s first innings score of 318. Bengal were left to rue the delay as they fancied their chances of getting three points based on a first innings lead if a full day”s play took place.

Gujarat beat Vidarbha by four wickets in another Group A clash.

In Group B, Mumbai drew with Himachal Pradesh as all three days were washed out without a ball bowled with Sarfaraz Khan missing out on continuing his run-scoring spree. He had taken just two innings to vault to the top of the run-scorers” list in the Elite Group teams. In another Group B clash, Karnataka thrashed Railways by 10 wickets.

In Group C, Maharashtra beat Tripura by five wickets as Odisha pummelled Assam by an innings and three runs. Chhattisgarh drew with Jammu & Kashmir while Services beat Jharkhand by 118 runs. Haryana drew with Uttarakhand but got three points riding their first innings lead.

Jharkhand portfolio allocation: CM Hemant Soren keeps Home, Congress gets Health, Finance.

Source – indiatoday.in

Amonth after swearing-in as the Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren on Wednesday allotted portfolio to his council of ministers. Speculations were rife that mounting pressure from Congress for key departments did not allow Hemant Soren to expand his cabinet and allot departments to his ministers.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had attacked Hemant Soren, alleging the chief minister was acting as a “puppet CM”. In a month, Hemant Soren had to travel to Delhi five times. RJD supporters are a disgruntled lot after being allocated just one department of labour and employment.

Their workers alleged that the party was given a peanut and Congress walked away with major departments like health, finance, commercial tax, agriculture, REO and rural department that always constitute the largest part of the annual budget.

Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey said it was not the opportune time to discuss who got the lion share and who were left high and dry. “Rather all the allies in mahagathbandhan should envisage how they would deliver and fulfill the promise made to the common people during elections,” the Congress spokesperson said.

“The government is ours. All the ministers should work with a strong belief and commitment towards people,” he said.

Jharkhand cabinet expanded, 7 take oath as ministers.

Source – hindustantimes.com

The much-awaited expansion of the Hemant Soren cabinet took place on Tuesday, with Governor Draupadi Murmu administering oath to seven ministers — five from JMM and two from Congress — taking the total strength in the state government to 10. much-awaited expansion The much-awaited expansion of the Hemant Soren cabinet took place on Tuesday, with Governor Draupadi Murmu administering oath to seven ministers — five from JMM and two from Congress — taking the total strength in the state government to 10.

Besides the chief minister, the state could have 11 ministers. Hence, one berth is still vacant in the cabinet.

The coalition government, led by chief minister Hemant Soren, took oath on December 29 last year. Two legislators from Congress — Alamgir Alam and Rameshwar Oraon — and RJD’s Satyanand Bhokta were also sworn-in along with Soren.

“Congratulations to all my colleagues on behalf of people for taking oath as ministers. This is not merely a cabinet, but Team Jharkhand which would work to accelerate the pace of development and realise the dreams of every Jharkhandi. Let’s work together for prosperity of Jharkhand and the country,” Soren tweeted, soon after the ceremony. The chief minister is yet to distribute portfolios among his teammates though.

On Tuesday, the five JMM legislators who took oath, included party’s old guard Champai Soren, Jagarnath Mahto and Haji Hussain Ansari to first-time legislator Mithlesh Thakur. The party also inducted five-term legislator Joba Manji, the only woman to have made it into the cabinet till now.

Party veteran Stephen Marandi, a six-term legislator, ex-minister and a former Rajya Sabha member, surprisingly missed the bus. He was chosen protem speaker for the current assembly and was being considered a front runner.

“It’s the prerogative of the chief minister to choose his team. I have no hard feeling. I congratulate the new team and wish they work hard to deliver according to the mandate we received,” Marandi told reporters after the ceremony.

Congress on its part inducted two-term legislators, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, into the cabinet, taking the total number of party ministers in the coalition government to four.

While both the new recruits are in their 40s, Badal at 43 now holds the distinction of being the youngest member of this cabinet. Earlier, the party had sworn-in party veterans Alamgir Alam, 69, and Rameshwar Oraon, 72, into the cabinet. “Since I am the youngest, I would request the chief minister to give me a department that needs maximum hard work,” said Patralekh.

Santhal, Kolhan get maximum representation

While it took a month for the government to expand its cabinet, both parties have tried to give representation to all major geographical regions and social groups. However, tribal-dominated Santhal Parganas and Kolhan division, which gave a decisive mandate in favour of the alliance, have got the lion’s share.

Besides the chief minister, Alam, Patralekh and Ansari represent assembly seats in Santhal Parganas. The next in line is Kolhan division that would have three ministers — Soren, Manjhi and Gupta.

North Chhota Nagpur comes next with two ministers Mahto and Bhokta. South Chhota Nagpur and Palamu division till now has only one representative each.

Socially, besides the chief minister, three ministers are tribals, two are Muslims, two each belong to the Other Backward Classes and general category, while one minister belongs to Scheduled Castes. Manjhi is the sole woman minister.