Tribal leaders today warned five political parties - BJP, Congress, JMM, AJSU and JVM - not to dare induct Kurmi and Teli communities in Scheduled Tribe category or they will have to face the heat in 2019 elections. Addressing  the Adivasi Bachao rally at Morhabadi Midaan in Ranchi on Thursday, former legislator Deo Kumar Dhan appealed all 32 tribal communities to unite together and not to get carried away by the allurements given by the political parties or they will be finished.

“If Teli and Kurmi are inducted, another ‘ulgulaan’ (Revolution) was set to take place in Jharkhand,” said Dhan.  If the two communities were inducted into Scheduled Tribes, Tribal population will lose all their land along with the job opportunities meant for them, he added.

Dhan warned the gathering that induction of Teli and Kurmi was more dangerous than amendments in CNT and SPT Acts though which efforts were being made to finish identity of tribal communities. He also alleged that BJP wanted to eradicate Tribal population from the State under a planned conspiracy.

The former legislator further said that even Tribal Chief Ministers did not care for tribal interests and treated them as a vote bank.

“Everyone – Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda, Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren Madhu Koda had been given opportunity to work for tribals’ interest, but they had nothing to do with tribal culture, land or their interests and only treated us as vote bank,” said Dhan. They have understood that tribal vote could be easily purchased giving them greed of money, liquor or ticket, he added.

Annoyed with the fact that all 42 MlAs have given their consent to induct Kurmi and Teli in the list of Scheduled Tribe, Dhan asked all the former Tribal Chief Ministers whether they will be with Tribals or Kurmi-Teli communities. He also appealed to the tribal people to boycott the five political parties and do not allow their leaders to enter their villages.

Referring to the logic given by Kurmi and Teli communities that if they get inducted into Scheduled Caste, tribal population will become 52 per cent following which it would be easier to get the State declared as  Tribal State, Dhan said that they were not interested in such a State at the cost of their tribal identity.

Another tribal leader and former minister Saghnu Bhagat also alleged that the five political parties were completely against the tribal population and 52 MlAs of these political parties have handed over the memorandum to Chief Minister requesting to induct Kurmi and Teli in Scheduled Caste.

He appealed people to boycott those MlAs and do not allow them to enter their villages.

Professor Praveen Oraon also warned that a conspiracy was being done to finish tribal population and if they did not united, they will be finished very soon. He said that BJP and RSS has already been attacking tribal population and making efforts to convert them as Hindus.

“Efforts are being made to finish their identity by calling Sarna as Satnatns,” said Oraon. Domicile policy has also been framed in such a way that Adiwasi- Moolwasi remains devoid of government jobs and outsiders become original domicle of Jharkhand, he added.

He claimed that people, who have made all efforts to make changes in CNT and SPT Acts, could not be a well wisher of tribal population.

Other tribal leaders like Devendra Nath Champia, Virendra Bhagat, Anil Kumar Bedia, Niranjan Herenj Toppo, Narayan Oraon, Kuldeep Tireky along with several others also expressed their views in the Rally.

As many as 5000 people from 32 tribal communities took part in the rally.