Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren leading a JMM-Congress-RJD alliance in a state where politics hinges on tribal sentiments on Wednesday pitched for tribal unity to fight against “destructive and religious fanatics”.
Addressing the inaugural function of the two-day Jharkhand Adivasi Mahotsav held in Ranchi for the second consecutive year to mark the International Day of World Indigenous People, in a veiled reference to the BJP-led central government Hemant Soren said: “Be it in Manipur where tribal women modesty has been outraged and tribals have been killed, or in Madhya Pradesh where a tribal have been urinated upon, or in other states, tribals have been forced to fight for their existence pitched against destructive and religious fanatics bent on looting their lands and resources.”
Soren who has on umpteen occasions accused the Centre of trying to topple his government using federal agencies like ED, CBI and IT called upon tribals to fight united against such forces.
“On this occasion, I would like to appeal to more than 13 crore tribals living in different states of India that the time has come to be united and fight against such forces that are out to control our natural resources and demean our identity and culture.
All tribal groups have to think on one line and be united as despite having differences in tradition and religion our heritage is the same and our target should also be one. We need to understand that our problems are also one,” said Soren.
“I wish that mutual dialogue should start between different tribal groups.
“Today we are divided and disorganised, which is why the topic of tribal oppression in Manipur is not becoming the topic of the Munda people of Jharkhand. The Bhils of Madhya Pradesh are not coming forward accepting the pain of Rajasthan tribals as their own,” said the chief minister.
Soren identified displacement as the common problem faced by tribals across the country.
“Around 80 per cent of people displaced because of industries, projects, dams and mines are tribals, but the ‘cruel system’ did not try to find out their whereabouts. Major coal PSUs were handed over lakhs of acres of tribal land without any rehabilitation plan in Jharkhand. How can tribals accept such development when they were driven out from their own land, cut-off from their resources, livelihood and heritage,” said Soren.
Soren also claimed that several tribal languages are on the verge of extinction and also accused mainstream historians of neglecting tribal heroes’ contribution to the freedom struggle.
The function was also addressed by UPA coordination committee chairperson, Rajya Sabha MP and JMM patriarch Shibu Soren (father of Hemant Soren).
On this occasion, 35 books based on tribal communities were released by the Tribal Research Institute, Ranchi. A postal stamp based on the “logo” of the mahotsav was released on the occasion.
The two-day tribal fest will have artists from across the country showcasing traditional culture, music, dance, literature and lifestyle.
There will be a film festival showing the struggle and history behind the creation of a separate state of Jharkhand.
There will be seminars on tribal history, literature, anthropology, art and music. Stalls would display tribal costumes and tribal cuisines. There will also be cultural programs and fashion shows during the fest at Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Garden near Jail Chowk in Ranchi.
A Reej Rang Rasika rally was taken out in Ranchi which witnessed tribal musical instruments of all the 32 tribal groups existing in Jharkhand being performed by artists dressed in traditional costumes.
There will be artists from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan will also perform at the fest.
There will be an exhibition of Jharkhand local cuisines and apparel fashion show and stalls of tribal cuisine have also been set up.
There will also be an exhibition of tribal traditional jewellery during the festival.
