look news india
Whenever one turns the pages of history in this beautiful and mineral rich red soil of the tribal dominated areas bordering Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, behind the glitter of development and resources, a horrifying story of tears and screams comes out which still shivers the souls of the listeners. The stories of martyrdom of those brave tribals and local people who risked their lives to protect water, forests and land are still alive in those winds which are lost somewhere amidst the noise of big industrial plants and mines. This is the land where nature gave its precious bounties i.e. iron ore and coal in abundance, but in return the natives got only displacement, conflict and gunfire. In today’s modern era, when we make many claims of development, then it becomes very important for us to remember the sacrifices of those people who took bullets on their chest so that their future generations can live with their cultural identity and rights, and even today every red rock there is seen testifying to that injustice.
When those dark pages of history are scrutinized, an incident comes to light which tarnishes the humanity and the sacred responsibility of the medical profession under which even the injured soldiers of the enemy country are given shelter and protection in the hospital. Even today, the eyes of the local elders become moist as they recall the memories of that dreadful day when massive defection of the police and security forces targeted the unarmed and helpless injured who were admitted to the hospital wards for treatment after a bloody clash. The people who were injured during the conflict and were lying on hospital beds in the hope of saving their lives and whose wounds were being treated by doctors and nurses, had no idea that death was looming over their heads in this form. The security forces crossed the boundary walls of the hospital and showed no mercy on those helpless and defenseless human beings and opened fire indiscriminately inside the wards, due to which the entire hospital premises turned red with blood and there was hue and cry. This inhuman act had shocked human rights activists and justice-loving citizens across the country, because hospitals had always been considered a safe zone free from violence, but that day that dignity was also completely trampled.
Today, even though time has passed and years have passed since that incident, the story of that martyrdom and massacre is still recorded in every particle of this red soil of iron ore as if it happened yesterday. The families who saw their young sons, brothers and fathers being shot inside that hospital are still tired of going through government files and courts but till date they have not been able to get justice for that cruelty. Today, when crores of tonnes of iron ore is loaded in heavy trucks from these areas and sent to big factories in the country and abroad, the question definitely arises in the minds of the local tribals whether the price of their lands will be paid with their blood. Every year, tribute meetings are organized by political parties and human rights organizations on that Martyrdom Day, big speeches are given, but the ground reality is that even today there is no significant change in the lives of those victims and they are struggling for basic facilities. For future generations, this history will remain a reminder of how long and painful this fight for rights has been, and until those innocent martyrs get true tribute and justice, the story of this red soil will continue to cry like this.