This was my moral loss and I could not bear this loss. I have not taken this step out of fear, but only to open the eyes of these people. And the committee members are fully responsible for it. I want to apologise to all my friends, for leaving the fight midway. Remember one thing, that the revolution always demands sacrifice. I hope to achieve this martyrdom. Those who dishonour our ancestors should not be spared. This Durga Puja was breaking me day and night. I felt as if the 55 days of sacrifice had gone to waste. I would like my friends to fight my unfinished battle with much passion. I am always with all of you. I would like to apologise once again to all the people who were associated with me. I also want to apologise to my family members as they had to be ashamed because of me. I am giving you this last trouble. I won’t anymore. My body should not be dissected, this is my wish.
Love Gondwana. Sonu
The suicide note of a 22-year-old tribal youth, Jitendra Maravi or Sonu, is a living document of the tragic times towards which a Hindu majoritarian ideology is aggressively pushing the country.
On 9 October, in Ketaka village of the Surajpur district in the Adivasi-majority state of Chhattisgarh, Jitendra took his own life after a Durga Puja was performed in his house, despite his objections. Jitendra’s friend, Rupesh Markam told me that a Durga Puja committee was formed at the local level. Jitendra’s father, Dhansay Maravi was also a part of the committee. “In the committee’s meeting, Jitendra’s father was pressurised to persuade his son, as he was against Durga Puja” Rupesh said. Jitendra’s father was also asked to “take a resolution to perform Durga Puja in his house.”
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