Bandh called by various Adivasi groups to protest swearing in of a non-tribal as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand failed to win support of the people. Despite the bandh called by tribal organisations it was business as usual for the people of Ranchi.
The bandh was called by Adivasi Sarna Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Mahasabha, Raji Padha Prarthana Sabha and Kendirya Sarna Samiti. No untoward incident was reported as the police were alert to nib the problem in its bud. Notably, Sec-144 was imposed considering the severity of the bandh and its effect. As many as 13 people, including adivasi leader Prem Sahi Munda, have been detained by the police for violating law.
“No untoward incident was reported. Few people were protesting in line Tank Road and were trying to enforce bandh. They have been arrested for violating sec-144 and they are in detention till now,” said Kotwali DSP Deepak Kumar Ambastha.According to sources, police is likely to detain the protestors until the swearing-in ceremony gets over and thus to prevent protest from assuming ugly proportions on Sunday.
The issue of tribal and non-tribal has won moral support from prominent Adivasi leaders on emotional grounds such as the threat to the identity of tribal and fear of tribal issues getting brushed under the carpet under a non-tribal CM.“The issue is relevant but one has to go beyond that and try to establish issues concerning adivasis. There is a fear among tribal community about their future under a non-tribal CM as they have did not get justice even under a tribal CM. Although I support the protest but it has to be in peaceful in nature,” said adivasi leader and former MP, Salkhan Murmu.
Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janta Party has condemned the protest called by Adivasi groups and termed the call divisive besides spreading baseless fear about subjugation of the tribal community in the name tribal versus non-tribal.“We strongly condemn the bandh called by tribal organizations. The act of dragging a constitutional post into a controversy and giving it a color of conflict between tribal and non-tribal is the reflection of the narrow mindset of the organizations,” said BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Sinha.
The saffron party also attempted to dispel the fear of discrimination between tribal and non-tribal CM. Ranchi MP CP Singh deplored the act of tribal organizations and accused them of misleading the adivasi community while assuring the tribal community that the government’s agenda will be development for all.“Raghubar Das ji has said that this government is for 3.25-crore people and that focus will be on entire population not just a particular community. There is only one agenda of the BJP and it is- development, development and development,” maintained Singh.