For quite some time now, speculations are rife that Biramitrapur Independent MlA George Tirkey will be back to the JMM.
Tirkey is not only known as a prominent tribal leader but also a revolutionary and anti-eviction campaigner among the tribals. He has a special image among the tribal people here.
Though due to his popularity, he has managed to get elected as MlA from Biramitrapur Assembly constituency consecutively for last two terms, but since last April, speculation is rife over his future political affiliation.
It may be mentioned here that in the year 1995, leaving the job of SBI, Tirkey had contested for the first time on JMM ticket from Biramitrapur constituency, while the demand for a separate Jharkhand State was at its peak. Since then, he has never looked back to raise his voices for the cause of tribals. In 2000 election, he also was elected on JMM ticket for the second time.
Even in the first Zilla Parishad election in 1997, his party got overwhelming victory and formed ZP with the support of Congress. And later on, his party candidates won in all 11 wards of the Biramitrapur Municipality.
But his political career got a twist after formation of separate Jharkhand State in 2000 consisting 18 districts of Bihar where no area from Odisha was included and in course of time, due to his aggressive stand, he was arrested and put behind the bar for more than a month. Finally before 2004 election, he left the JMM and joined the BJD. There was a talk in the political circle then that for avoiding further arrest and legal problem, he joined the BJD. Tirkey had said that as there was no relevance of Jharkhand movement after the formation of separate Jharkhand State, he left the JMM and joined the BJD to work for the tribals in a better manner. After joining the BJD, he became its district president and succeeded to rehabilitate his close aide in various positions.
But while in 2004 election, he was denied party ticket, he contested from the Biramitrapur Assembly seat and the Sundargarh lok Sabha seat independently and lost both. Despite this, the BJD had not taken any disciplinary action against him.
But his relationship with the BJD turned sour when he openly criticized the State Government on the Kalinga Nagar issue on January 2, 2006 where 14 agitating tribals were gunned down by the police and subsequently, he joined with the tribal agitators who disrupted the railway services for 36 hours on Howrah-Mumbai line due to economic blockade. Finally, he was suspended from the BJD and Tirkey formed his own George Sena. In 2009, he won as MlA, Biramitrapur as an independent candidate.
Besides expanding his activities to other parts of the State, Tirkey joined hands with activist Prafulla Samantra and former union Minister Braja Tripathy and was involved in campaign against anti-displacement.
He fought for protecting the interest of farmers and implementation of PESA in scheduled areas. In 2013, Tirkey and Tripathy formed the Samata Kranti Party and he became its president. But in 2014 election, only he was elected from his party and a sole party MlA in the Assembly.
Tirkey has been involved in several campaigns for the tribals under the banner of Sundargarh Mulabasi Adivasi Surakshya Manch. Yet, he is facing more than two dozens of cases lodged in different police stations and many of his aides were also arrested.
Meanwhile, Tirkey met JMM supremo Sibu Soren in Ranchi last week along with his close aides. His close aides have confirmed that Tirkey would formally join the JMM on December 5 in Ranchi.
later all of his followers will join in a big gathering at Rourkela where Soren will attend. Sources said in October last, Tirkey had applied to the JMM Sundargarh district committee formally to join which had been approved in the district committee, the State committee and the Central committee of the JMM.
Political observers said that under the present political situation, JMM is the best option Tirkey. This is the party that never ditched him but it was he who had chosen to leave it. Besides, JMM is the best platform for furthering the tribal cause. More importantly, Tirkey cannot ever think of rejoining the BJD since he has been protesting the anti-tribal policies of the State Government.