Administrator
04 June 2025
Normal life in Ranchi was affected on Tuesday due to a bandh called by several tribal organisations. The offices of the banks, PSUs and state government were open though most shops on main roads were shut. The traffic was thin. Though the state police were deployed in strength, the bandh activists were beyond the reach of the law enforcers across the state, dominated by tribals. As a precautionary measure, commuters were advised not to move around the state and national highways in the state till 5 pm today.
The tribal bodies have been demanding the removal of a flyover ramp near the ‘Sarna Sthal’ — a site of religious significance in the Sirmatoli area of the city of Ranchi. The Sarna Sathal site is located on government land. The state government, currently under the rule of the JMM led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has stood for the construction of the flyover and its ramp.
The JMM-led tribal bodies were in favour of the construction. But the Bandh supporters being backed by tribal groups led by anti-JMM, were up in arms. These tribal supporters blocked key roads at more than ten locations across the city, bringing traffic to a halt. Protesters burnt tyres and placed logs on roads, preventing vehicles from moving. Public transport, including autos, remained off the roads in several areas, while many shops were shuttered.
Since morning, tribal youths under the banner of ‘Sirmatoli Bachao Morcha’ marched through the streets, raising slogans and brandishing sticks and traditional weapons. The protest turned tense near Hinoo Chowk on the road leading to the airport, where bandh supporters appeared aggressive. Major intersections, including Kokar Chowk, Kanke Road, Ratu Tilata Chowk, Doranda Bazaar, Kathal Mor, and Airport Road, were also blocked. Even two-wheelers were not spared. At Loadih on Ranchi-Tata Road, a large group of protesters gathered, while police at the site refrained from using force to clear the blockade.
The agitators are demanding the removal of a ramp being built in Siram Toli as part of the Siram Toli-Mecon Flyover project. The protestors argue that allowing regular vehicular movement near the site would not only disturb the spiritual sanctity of the place, but also cause crowding and obstruction in an already sensitive zone. They also warned that the flyover ramp would severely disrupt access to the Sarna Sthal during Sarhul — one of the most important tribal festivals — when thousands gather at the site.
The ‘Sirmatoli Bachao Morcha’ claims the under-construction flyover ramp near the Sarna Sthal will disrupt religious ceremonies, calling it an attack on their faith. The flyover project is being constructed by the Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (JUIDCO), a state government body. The ₹340-crore elevated road project, which includes the ramp near Sarna Sthal, was launched in August 2022.
The project aims to ease traffic movement by connecting Siram Toli to Mecon Chowk. The project has faced some controversy and protests from tribal groups due to the ramp's proximity to the Sarna Sthal, a sacred site for tribals. However, the construction work of this project is near completion despite a series of protests and bandhs called by the tribal organisations.
Tribal bodies are enforcing a Jharkhand bandh on Wednesday to protest against the construction of a ramp, part of a flyover, near Sarna Sthal, a sacred tribal religious site in Ranchi. The ramp Protesters blocked the Ranchi-Daltonganj Road near Biju Para this morning and staged a demonstration as part of the bandh. Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Jharkhand, especially in the capital, Ranchi, police said.
Several organisations took out a torchlight procession here on Tuesday evening, demanding the immediate dismantling of the newly constructed ramp in Siram Toli, claiming that the structure obstructs access to their religious site and could impact its sanctity due to traffic movements. Their other demands include the protection of religious sites of the ST community in the state, implementation of the PESA Act and removal of encroachment on tribal land. The construction of the 2.34-km-long elevated road, which includes a 132-metre stretch over a railway line, will connect Siram Toli to Mecon and is aimed at easing traffic movement in the area.
