On June 30, when tribal communities across eastern India prepared to pay homage to their brave ancestors who laid down their lives resisting British imperialism, the ground zero of the Santhal Rebellion, Bhognadih in Jharkhand, turned into a flashpoint. Ironically, on a day meant to celebrate tribal courage and unity, unarmed Adivasis in Bhognadih were subjected to a brutal lathicharge by police acting at the behest of the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government.
Hul Diwas, commemorating the 1855 Santhal Rebellion against colonial British forces and the oppressive feudal zamindari system, is one of the most significant cultural and political events in Jharkhand. The rebellion was led by iconic tribal leaders Sidho Murmu and Kanhu Murmu, along with their siblings Chand, Bhairav, Phulo, and Jhano. It was from Bhognadih in Sahibganj district that this revolutionary movement began, and to this day, it is considered sacred ground by tribal communities.
However, this year 2025, Bhognadih witnessed not celebration but chaos, arrests, and a blatant attack on tribal dignity. The conflict stemmed from an unseemly political tussle: who has the right to organise Hul Diwas in Bhognadih, the descendants of Sidho and Kanhu, and the tribal community that has lived and preserved its culture here for generations, or the state government?
What unfolded next has shocked tribal rights activists and locals alike.
“This is our land. How can they dictate to us?”
In a telephonic conversation with Organiser on June 30, Mandal Murmu, a direct descendant of Sidho-Kanhu and head of the local tribal committee, said, “We in Bhognadih run a committee which celebrates Hul Diwas every year. This year, we applied for permission more than a month in advance, but the administration kept delaying it. Eventually, they denied it at the last moment. Since this land belongs to us tribals and falls under Schedule 5, we took the approval of our Panchayat Sarpanch, who supported us.”
According to Mandal, preparations had already begun. Locals were building pandals and planning cultural events. “We were excited. Hul is not just a festival, it is our way of paying homage to our ancestors. On this day, we worship them, we remember their bravery, and we share our pride with the younger generation,” he said.
However, on the night of June 29, everything changed. “At midnight, police stormed in and arrested the workers preparing the pandal. They were kept behind bars. Only after our protest did the administration release them. The entire pandal was dismantled, and in its place, a government setup emerged overnight,” alleged Mandal.
Two Events, One Battle: BJP vs JMM in Bhognadih
Organiser has confirmed that this year, for the first time, two parallel events were proposed in Bhognadih, one by the ruling JMM and another by local tribal leaders supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The growing political involvement of the Murmu family, with Mandal Murmu now aligning with the BJP, appears to have triggered insecurity within the JMM camp.
“The government that calls itself tribal-friendly is now using force against tribals who dare to stand independently,” said Kanchan Ugursandi, a tribal rights activist. “This is a clear violation of our rights. This is our land, our people, and our ancestors. Why should we ask permission from a political leader sitting far away? The Chief Minister must seek our permission, not the other way around.”
She added with emotion, “Sidho and Kanhu are my ancestors. No one can stop me from honouring them. The Chief Minister should stop using Bhognadih as his political stage.”
Interestingly, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who typically visits Bhognadih every Hul Diwas, skipped the visit this year due to the ongoing controversy and backlash. However, the JMM ensured that another party leader represented the government during the official function.
BJP Slams Soren for “Insulting Tribal Heroes”
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Champai Soren, himself from a tribal, strongly condemned the government’s actions. Speaking at a parallel Hul Diwas event in Saraikela-Kharsawan, he said:
“Every year, people of Bhognadih celebrate Hul Diwas with pride. But this year, the JMM-Congress government disrupted everything. At 1:30 AM, labourers setting up the pandal were arrested and kept in the police station. This is an insult to Veer Sidho and Kanhu. The entire Jharkhand is watching and protesting. This government has failed in preserving our legacy and rights.”
He further added, “People from several states, along with the Sidho-Kanhu Foundation, have come to participate. The government, instead of welcoming them, is suppressing them.”
Despite being denied permission, the Sido-Kanhu Family Council, supported by locals, went ahead with their planned cultural programs, albeit under heavy police surveillance.
Government’s Silence and Security Clampdown
On June 30, Bhognadih looked more like a militarised zone than a site of celebration. According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of security personnel were deployed in and around the village to prevent any parallel event from being held by the local tribal council. Barricades were installed, and even local villagers were reportedly asked to show identity cards to enter the venue.
Those planning the event previously were attacked with many facing severe injuries.
The official stance of the government remained unclear, with no statement issued explaining the midnight arrests or the destruction of the tribal pandal.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babu Lal Marandi, a long-time advocate for tribal rights, said in a statement, “India’s independence is incomplete without acknowledging the glory of the Hul Revolution. The entire country should know about Hul Diwas, but unfortunately, even today, it remains neglected — and worse, now politicised.”
The Cultural and Constitutional Context
Hul Diwas is not just an emotional event. It carries deep cultural and constitutional significance.
In the Santhali language, “Hul” means uprising or resistance. The 1855 movement, led by Sidho and Kanhu Murmu, was not only aimed at the British but also against corrupt landlords, moneylenders, and exploiters. It was perhaps one of India’s earliest organised tribal rebellions, much before the 1857 War of Independence.
The Constitution of India acknowledges the distinct identity and rights of tribal communities. Under Schedule 5, regions like Bhognadih fall under special protections, ensuring that tribal land cannot be arbitrarily used or controlled by outsiders without the consent of the Gram Sabha or Panchayat.
Locals argue that by denying the tribal council their right to organise their own cultural event, and by using force, the Hemant Soren government has violated the spirit of Schedule 5.
The Bigger Picture: Tribal Pride vs Political Control
The events of June 30 raise serious concerns not just about this year’s Hul Diwas but about the broader trend of political appropriation of tribal history and cultural spaces.
“This land belongs to Sidho and Kanhu, not Hemant Soren or his government,” said a local villager angrily. “Every year, politicians come, make speeches, and leave. But we stay here. We are the keepers of this legacy.”
Others pointed out how the government, in its attempt to maintain symbolic control over Bhognadih, has gradually sidelined the original custodians of this history, the tribal people themselves.
Another tribal elder told Organiser, “If we cannot freely celebrate the martyrdom of our own heroes on our land, what does democracy even mean to us?”
Allegations of Muslim appeasement
Under Hemant Soren’s leadership, the JMM government has often faced criticism for its overt appeasement of Muslim vote banks at the cost of tribal identity. Soren has been accused of selectively favoring minority-dominated areas in policy execution while ignoring the socio-cultural aspirations of the tribal communities who have historically been the backbone of his party. From allocating disproportionate grants to Waqf institutions to remaining silent on instances of communal tension in tribal regions, Soren’s actions have raised questions about his commitment to tribal heritage.
Adding to the outrage are rising allegations of unchecked illegal Bangladeshi infiltration, particularly in districts bordering West Bengal and Assam. Under the Soren regime, locals and activists claim that demographic shifts are taking place in tribal-dominated zones, threatening both the cultural integrity and land rights of the indigenous people. Instead of taking corrective action, the government has allegedly turned a blind eye, fearing loss of minority votes. This perceived inaction has further alienated the tribal population, who now feel betrayed and reduced to a mere vote bank, rather than respected stakeholders in Jharkhand’s governance and identity.
A Day of Resistance Becomes a Day of Suppression
On a day that should have been marked by collective remembrance, songs of resistance, and tribal unity, Bhognadih saw state-sponsored intimidation. While the state government may have succeeded in asserting logistical control over the venue, it has undoubtedly lost the trust of the very people it claims to represent.
For the tribal community of Jharkhand, Hul Diwas is not a one-day affair. It is a living memory, a battle still being fought, not with bows and arrows this time, but for cultural survival, land rights, and dignity.
And in Bhognadih, that battle just turned a little fiercer.
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