Administrator
30 June 2025
Picture show cops in action against a group of tribals who had invited their leader Champai Soren as chief guest on the occasion of Hul Kranti Diwas at Bhognadih village, Sahibganj district in Jharkhand on June 30,2025.
Hul Diwas being observed on June 30,2025 to commemorate the Santhal Rebellion led by two brothers Sidhu and Kanhu in 1855 was marked by confrontation between the police, administrative personnel and a group of tribals.
Tear gas was also used to control the mob. Several villagers and police personnel sustained injuries. Three policemen have been hospitalised, according to officials.
As a result, scores of tribals were injured. And, many of them shouted slogans against the police and district administration.
The incident took place in Bhognadih village of Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district.
Tear gas was also used to control the mob. Several villagers and police personnel sustained injuries. Three policemen have been hospitalised, according to officials.
Reports claimed that under the umbrella of
the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Hul Foundation,a group of tribals were observing the annual event- “Hul Kranti Diwas” at the ‘memorial site.’
The Sahibgunj district administration had denied permission for a parallel event organised by the foundation, which had invited BJP leader and former Chief Minister Champai Soren as the chief guest.
As the police tried to dismantle the unauthorised arrangements, tempers flared, leading to stone-pelting, baton-charge, and reports of arrows being fired by foundation supporters.
Tear gas was also used to control the mob. Several villagers and police personnel sustained injuries. Three policemen have been hospitalised, according to officials.
The situation remains tense. A heavy police presence has been deployed in the area, with senior officials, including Sahibganj Deputy Commissioner Hemant Sati, camping at the site to monitor the situation.
Every year on June 30, the Jharkhand government organises a state-level programme at Bhognadih to honour the Santhal revolutionaries Sido and Kanhu Murmu. Chief Minister Hemant Soren usually attends the event, but this year, he was in New Delhi with his ailing father Shibu Soren.
In absence of the CM Soren, the stateEducation Minister Ramdas Soren was representing the government.
The parallel event planned by the Hul Foundation, led by Mandal Murmu -- a descendant of Sido-Kanhu -- sparked tensions. Murmu, once a proposer for Hemant Soren in the Barhait Assembly constituency, had later joined the BJP.
Tensions had already begun building on Sunday, when police detained 13 workers of the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Hool Foundation who were erecting tents. Supporters responded by blocking access to the memorial with bamboo barricades. The detained workers were later released after negotiations.
Following Monday’s violence, foundation members locked the gates of the memorial site and warned that if their event was not allowed, the government programme would also not be permitted to proceed.
