lull of the last 16 years on the most important policy decision for Jharkhand has gone with one strike on Thursday with the Government defining local residents, in other terms domicile, of the State. While the 1985 cutoff has included most of the people have had settled here during the Bihar era, discussion is rife in political circles about how the Government mustered courage to settle the issue once and for all.
There are many who believe that there would not have been better timing for Chief Minister Raghubar Das to insert the policy than this when politics of the State is divided on sharp lines.
“look at the present scenario when the architect of the domicile issue- JVM- is emaciated and busy knitting ties with JD (U), the party greater known for its Bihar roots. Most of the people who would be benefited with the new definition of locals have Bihar connection. Even resentments among the tribals have been pointed against them. It would be difficult for the JVM to strongly oppose the policy,” said a senior party functionary.
This is evident from the reactions coming from the JVM’s top brass as its supremo Babulal Marandi has not rejected the policy outrightly barring a casual remark seeking more for locals and demanding a different appointment policy. JVM general secretary Pradeep Yadav has not come out in open yet and the party fielded vocal tribal leader Bandhu Tirkey, a new entrant, to face the press unconvincingly on Friday.
“The Government has cheated the people by confining jobs for locals only for class III and IV. Instead, it should have under the Article 16 (3) included class II jobs as well in the likes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana. Where are jobs in the class III and IV,” said Tirkey while searching for words when asked about the cutoff date 1985 and finally succumbing that the decision was taken under pressure of the JVM’s ultimatum.
Similar cold responses have come from RJD that even went on lauding in a veiled manner the decision of the Government. Another major political force in the State, Congress is also in two minds over the complex issue handled quite amicably by the Chief Minister.
“After all, the people came here at the time of undivided Bihar as locals only. Now when they are settled here and their children have got education from the State how can you label them as outsidersIJ It is a fact but politics was holding back the decision. Congress thinks in national perspective and by taking into account what has happened in other states, it seems a just decision,” said a former Minister and senior party leader. The Congress is also a part of the larger alliance being initiated in neighbouring Bihar.
Notable is to mention that Congress and JVM had distanced themselves from the JMM at the fag end of the Budget Session when the later had persisted with its protest demanding domicile policy and held the House to ransom for over a week.
Moreover, even feeling isolated, JMM is unwilling to do away with its politics on tribal issues and even sees it an opportunity to extend it further. “This is completely against the interests of the adivasi-moolvasi of Jharkhand who have settled here since time immemorial. Their due would go to the outsiders who have come here not much before. We would start protests and agitations across the State,” said Supriyo Bhattacharya of the JMM.
Some reaction has come also with Adivasi-Moolvasi Janadhikar Manch, a lesser know group of tribals, organizing a torch procession at Ranchi University to register their protest on Friday evening.