JPA calls for formal apology to tribal Community on Hul Diwas

PNS

Ranchi

Marking Hul Diwas, the Jharkhand Police Association has called for a formal apology to the tribal community for the alleged atrocities committed by the colonial police during the 1855 Santhal Hul uprising.

Association president Rahul Kumar Murmu said that Mahesh Lal Dutt, then officer-in-charge of Digghi police station in present-day Sahibganj district, has historically been accused of persecuting Santhal tribals at the behest of moneylenders and the British colonial administration. He said the alleged oppression became one of the key factors that sparked the Santhal Hul, led by Sidho, Kanho, Chand, Bhairav, Phulo and Jhano against British rule.

On the 170th anniversary of the Hul rebellion, Murmu urged the Jharkhand Police to acknowledge the excesses committed by the colonial-era police administration and formally apologise to the Santhal and wider tribal community. He said such a gesture would help heal historical wounds, strengthen public trust and serve as a meaningful tribute to the known and unknown martyrs of the Hul movement.

Drawing a parallel with an international example, Murmu referred to the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, in which 376 Indian passengers, most of them Sikhs, were denied entry into Canada under discriminatory immigration laws. He noted that on May 18, 2016, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologised in the Canadian Parliament for the historical injustice.

Murmu said acknowledging painful chapters of history through official recognition and reconciliation helps build confidence between communities and public institutions. He urged the Jharkhand government and concerned authorities to seriously consider a similar initiative in recognition of the historical suffering associated with the Santhal Hul, stating that such a step would further strengthen the dignity, respect and trust of the tribal community.

The statement reflects the demand of the Jharkhand Police Association and does not represent an official position of the Jharkhand government or the Jharkhand Police.