His party supremo Shibu Soren may have walked the extra mile seeking special status for Jharkhand and Chief Minister Hemant Soren may have made it an issue, but Sanjiv Kumar begs to differ.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) member in the Rajya Sabha feels the polarising factor is not going to change anything in real terms. Kumar said the demand — that has gained momentum after the Centre clarified that special status to Jharkhand was not under consideration — was a political gimmick.
“When Shibu Soren visited Delhi, even I accompanied him to the Prime Minister. I drafted the letter (to be given to the PM) and pointed out the profit-loss occurring to the State by status. But what I feel with full conviction that these are political stunts. We paid a visit to the Prime Minister just to keep pace with the other parties and for the sake of show off,” the MP said in an exclusive talk with The Pioneer.
Jharkhand’s parties have been looking to use it as a poll plank. Sudesh Mahto-led AJSU Party has organised State-wide fast while the BJP is also flexing its muscles. The JMM has termed it the right of the State. Only its coalition partner in the Hemant dispensation, the Congress, is playing down the call.
However, the JMM MP has ignored party line, saying, “What is more important is to ensure rights of tribal people associated with their land. The land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885 and the Coal Bearing Areas Acquisition & Development Act, 1957 have left a large number of tribals displaced. PSUs have acquired land much more than required.”
Kumar asked, “What will we get by special statusIJ Can it compensate for the loot of land and resourcesIJ These are the real issues and we are playing politics. If there aren’t any tribals left, who will the political parties representIJ”
He added that he had conveyed as much to Hemant Soren when he visited Delhi and suggested showing statistics to prove his point. Hemant, on the other hand, has sung a different tune after meeting Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday.
Asked about special status, the Chief Minister spoke more about royalty, return of land and the expired lease agreement with Coal India.Sanjiv Kumar is expected to press his point further with the Sorens next week.