“On earth there is no heaven... but there are pieces of it.� - Jules Renard.
mohit madhukar
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Mohit Madhukar
Copyright Š 2013 by Mohit Madhukar Accomplished as the Diploma Project by Mohit Madhukar, all rights reserved by Mohit Madhukar. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Mohit Madhukar, 201, Kalpvruksha-2, P.T.College Road, Vishwakunj crossroads, near National Institute of Design (NID), Paldi, Ahmedabad, India, 380007. First Edition, September 2013 Story and Artwork: Mohit Madhukar Project Guide: Sekhar Mukherjee.
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Mohit Madhukar
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Inspired from real events of the Koel-Karo Movement.
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Koel-Karo : Two rivers flowing in the south-west region of Ranchi, Jharkhand, INDIA. Started in 1955, the “Koel-Karo Hydroelectric Project� in Jharkhand (then Bihar), would have submerged more than 55,000 acres of forests and agricultural land, and left more than a lakh of indigenous people homeless. Since its inception the project went through many hard phases. Preeminently due to excessive rise in its expenditure and similar other hiccups such as resistance from the locals, public curfews, killings and random shoot-outs, it was finally shelved in the year 2010. These 55 years of struggle remain a testament to the will of the indigenous people of Jharkhand, who succeeded in protecting their land by shutting down the project that threatened their lives, livelihood, culture and identity. A homage to the martyrs of the Koel-Karo Movement.
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Memorial stone made for the martyrs of the “Koel-Karo Movement�.
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English translation of the text written on the martyrs’ stone. Tapkara Shootouts For the protection of the heritage, culture & identity of Jharkhand Long live the martyrs of the Koel-Karo Mass Movement Date: 2nd February, 2001, Tapkar Market, Tand
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Village
Age
Bora Pahan Prabhusahay Kandulna Soma Joseph Guria Lukas Guria Sunder Kundalna Sursen Guria Sameer Dahang
Chapa Baha BelsiaJarakel Gondra Gondra Banai Dorang Banda Jaypur
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Abandon the Koel-Karo Project forever. Long live the Koel-Karo Movement.
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“Mundas”, one of the indigenous peoples of Jharkhand, worship the souls of their dead ancestors which they believe are their guardians who live in their land and protect them from evil. They also have a faith that once in a year the Gods come down to earth and live in the forests. Under the name of “Sarna”, they celebrate this festival where they worship the forests and the groves.
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Next Morning...
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The E nd
Plagued by Land Acquisition, countless number of people throughout the world, have either committed suicides, been killed or died in this wrangle of protecting their land. On the other hand, to meet the fast growing needs of humanity, development is necessary, for which land proves to be the most important aspect. But to what extent...
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“On earth there is no heaven... but there are pieces of it.� - Jules Renard.
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The E nd
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Acknowledg ments I would like to thank my guide Sekhar Mukherjee for his guidance and support throughout this project . I am very thankful to my friends and batch-mates without whose critique and encouragement, this graphic novel would not have been possible. Above all I would like to thank my parents for believing in me and my over ambitious project.
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How far can anyone fight for his most precious belongings, if it is being grabbed away from him. Inspired from real events, Koel-Karo revolves around an incidence that took place in the lives of Pankisto Guria and his friend, that could have changed their lives forever. In a battle to protect their most precious possessions; their identity & their livelihood, even the nature came forth for their rescue. “To what extent can one let go off his interests to fulfill someone else’s interests.”
© Mohit Madhukar 201359