The People’s Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights (PUCL) in Delhi was concerned to learn of frequent instances of police firing on adivasis in Chaibasa and oppression of landless labourers in Baharagora areas of Singhbhum in Bihar during the latter half of 1978. Specific inci¬dents came to the notice of the PUCL, Delhi. One person was killed on 6th November, 1978 when the police opened fire on a gathering of adivasis near Ichahatu village, three persons were killed in police firing at the middle school in Serengda on 25th November, 1978. At Baharagora, in another part of the district (which is not an adivasi area) the police and land¬lords together were reported to have unleashed terror on land¬less labourers trying to organise themselves to implement minimum wages and to face the tyranny of landlords. Large-scale arrests, beatings, and molestation of women were repor¬ted through the latter part of 1978 and in to 1979.

The Delhi unit of PUCL, therefore, decided to send a team of investigators to make an on-the-spot study of such incidents in particular and the socio economic condi-tions of the adivasis and landless labourers, in general.