Local youths of Dhanbad and Bokaro who recently carried out a prolonged agitation protesting against the inclusion of Magahi and Bhojpuri in regional language list of Dhanbad and Bokaro on Sunday again took out to street by participating in a 45 km run from Bokaro to Dhanbad in support of their demand for 1932 Khatiyan (domicile) based employment policy.

The run, titled Run for 1932 Khatiyan, jointly flagged off this morning by former minister Geetashree Oraon and former Silli MLA Amit Mahto from Birsa Chowk of Bokaro which witnessed participation of more than 10 thousand local residents, passed through different areas including Telmachho, Mahuda, Kapuria, Putki, Moonidih, Kendua, Matkuria, Bank More and station road before finally reaching at Randhir Verma Chowk of Dhanbad where it culminated into a meeting.

Glimpse of the 45km-run cum foot march Gautam Dey

Talking to the media at Bokaro, Amit Mahto said that he left JMM during the last month over the issue of delay in implementation of 1932 domicile based employment policy but the government has yet not initiated any step to implement a policy in this regard.

Geetashree Soren, former education minister who also resigned from the Congress last month on the same issue, meanwhile said, “The very essence of creation on new state can’t be realised until some steps are taken to promote the local language, culture but outside the state, there is no such provision,” said Mahto.

Former Silli MLA, Amit Mahato (in blue T-shirt) in the march Gautam Dey

She also charged the state government of deceiving local residents of the state by including the languages like Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika etc in the regional language list of Jharkhand.

Jairam Mahto, a student leader who is also one of the founder members of the language right organization, JharkhandI Bhasa Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, which spearheaded the recent agitation for protection of local languages said, “Due to lack of provision guaranteeing the rights of local residents, the other people coming from outside the state are taking away their land, jobs, produce and plundering the resources of the state.”

“Go to states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and there is provision for protection of local languages of there but in out state there is no such provision,” added Mahto.