After oath ceremony of the 15th President of India, Draupadi Murmu on Monday, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) greeted and congratulated her and at the same time, the party has demanded that on the coming August 9 on the occasion of World Tribal Day, she should direct the implementation of PESA and Forest Rights Act in letter and spirit. Murmu should also announce the inclusion of Sarna religion code in the population column.
Addressing a press meet at the party headquarter in the State Capital JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson, Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “This announcement will send a message to the whole world that a tribal woman sitting on the highest post of India has strengthened the public sentiment of crores of tribals of the Country.”
Bhattacharya said that the Constitution of India not only dictates the rights, freedoms and duties of the citizens of the Country, but also strengthens the foundation of democracy. “The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution guarantees to maintain the traditional customs, culture, civilization and identity of the tribals. In the interest of the tribal community, the Parliament enacted the PESA Act in 1996. After a long struggle, the Forest Rights Act was enacted in 2006. We have high hopes from the newly elected President about these two laws,” he added.
The party General Secretary further said that Sarna Dharma Code has been a demand of the tribal community for the past several years. “This code strengthens the identity, religion of the tribals. JMM has also passed a unanimous resolution on this in the assembly. An all-party delegation which included Congress, RJD, Left BJP and AJSU led by Chief Minister, Hemant Soren also submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister, Amit Shah. The JMM demands that the first tribal woman to hold the highest office should announce the inclusion of the Sarna religion code in the population column,” he added.
Bhattacharya said that similarly in many states of the country, tribals and Dalits are imprisoned for a long time even after the completion of their term due to economic deprivation. JMM demands from the newly elected President that he should also pave the way for the liberation of such people, he added.