The BJD and BJP in the State look to be in a race to woo triibals. A few days after the BJP-led NDA Government announced name of Droupadi Murmu as the new Governor of Jharkhand, the ruling BJD has decided to name a proposed medical college after a tribal leader of repute.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is scheduled to lay foundation stone of the proposed medical college at Baripada on May 18, said the new medical college at Baripada would be named after Pandit Raghunath Murmu.
“late Pandit Raghunath Murmu, famous as Guru Gamkey among Santhali tribes, had developed the Olchiki script for Santhali language. He has made immense contribution for Santhali literature,” Patnaik said.
Patnaik’s action, according to political observers, is aimed to defeat BJP’s tribal appeasement policy. Though Droupadi Murmu’s was not in the probable list of new Governors, she was offered the prestigious post obviously to appease the tribals of Mayurbhanj, particularly the Santali tribes.
Droupadi was elected to the State legislative Assembly twice from Rairangpur Assembly constituency in Mayurbhanj district in 2000 and 2004 elections.
She was Minister of State with independent charge for Commerce and Transport from 2000 to 2002 and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development from 2002 to 2004 during the BJP-BJD coalition Government in the State.
Meanwhile, the BJD Government has already increased the reservation for ST and SC students in higher education. Political observers point out that there is race for tribal appeasement and both BJP and BJP are trying to outsmart each other.