Row Over Shibu Soren Statue Installation in Chaibasa, JMM and Tribal Groups Face Off

Chaibasa

Tension prevailed in Chaibasa on Friday over the proposed installation of a statue of JMM patriarch and former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren at Tata Road Bypass Chowk, after some tribal organizations opposed the move and demanded that statues of local tribal martyrs be installed instead.

Members of the organizations staged a protest near the construction site identified by the district administration. The situation escalated when JMM workers and protesters reportedly entered into a confrontation, prompting the police to intervene.

Police detained several protesters to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. The police reportedly used mild force during the intervention.

The construction work at the site is being supervised under the leadership of JMM district president Sona Devgam. He claimed that those opposing the installation were neither local residents nor representing the views of villagers in the area. He alleged that the protest was politically motivated.

Devgam said local residents had raised no objection to the proposed installation of Soren’s statue.

Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer Sanjay Kumar, who was present at the spot, said the construction was being carried out on the orders of the state government and, therefore, there was no justification for the protest. He also said no organization had previously submitted an application seeking installation of a statue of any other personality at the site.

A large number of police personnel and administrative officials were deployed at the spot to prevent any further escalation and maintain law and order.

The administration is closely monitoring the situation, while security arrangements have been strengthened in and around the area.