NE Horo

Ranchi, Feb. 6: The government might have goofed up in paying the last tribute to him, but not the people N.E. Horo worked with for a separate state for decades.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative taken by some villagers in Khunti district, a 12ft high and 3ft wide stone, not statue, of the leader would be installed at a suitable place here.

In the tradition of Munda community, a monolith is created after the death of a person. Known as pathalgadi in local dialect, the height of the stones varies according to the person for whom they are erected. For ordinary people, a stone of about 3-4ft is erected. But for leaders, a stone of about 6ft is the standard height.

In Horo’s case, the Jharkhand movement veterans have decided a stone of 12ft. “This is to signify that he is the tallest leader of Jharkhand,” said Ram Dayal Munda, the former Ranchi University vice-chancellor who is the brain behind the initiative.

“The work on the stone will take another two weeks. After this, we will seek permission from the Ranchi deputy commissioner to erect the stone in the city,” Munda said.

Persons who have come together with the idea of paying this unique respect to the leader include renowned scholar B.P. Kesri, Ajsu founder Suraj Singh Besra among several others.

All information about Horo, including his date and place of birth, political milestones and contribution to separate statehood movement, would be engraved on the stone. The leaders said they had decided to erect the stone on the eastern side of Jaipal Singh Stadium where a small statue of Jaipal Singh, the founder of Jharkhand movement, is already there.

This would be the first time a huge stone would be erected in the city honouring a Jharkhand leader.

Horo passed away on December 11 last year and was laid to rest in the cemetery of the GEL Church here. Though then chief minister Shibu Soren had ordered for a funeral with state honour, bureaucrats goofed up the whole thing, inviting wrath of the people.