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Tribal community faces existential crisis, says Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said the new definition of ‘development’, which involves cutting down of forests to set up buildings and factories often threatens the existence of tribals
RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said on Tuesday called for protection of the diversity of tribals that he said was facing an existential crisis.
“Today the tribal community is facing several challenges for its existence. Is it not unfortunate that policy makers are today relcutant to accept the diversity in terms of language and culture that gives tribals a distinct identity. And even our constitutional rights have been topics of discussion,” Soren said in his address at the opening of the two day Jharkhand tribal festival..
Underling that the community can’t allow destruction of its distinct tribal culture, Soren said there is a need to protect it from the new models of development despite the community lacking numerical strength and money power.
“For example, for the Hindu culture, we adivasis are Asurs (demons). The majority community’s cultural shows depict a sense of hatred for the community. Even the statues display sense of hatred. We need to think how are we going to preserve our culture. Had we got money power, we would also have been able to protect our culture like the Jains and Parsis,” said Soren.
Questioning the narrative of preserving the forest and animals, Soren said there is a need to instead focus on protecting the tribals.
“The fact remains that by focusing on protection of the tribals, the forest and animals will get preserved automatically. All have their eyes on tribal land which is rich of resources and has been protected by tribals for centuries. But the tools of their exploitation are in the hands of industrialists,” said Soren.
In a swipe at the state’s opposition BJP, Soren said that some people have probleme even with the term ‘Adivasi’. “Some even have problem in calling us Adivasis (tribals) and instead call us Vanvasis (forest dwellers),” he added. The term Vanvasi is often used by organisations related to the Sangh Parivar led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
Soren said the community needs to keep itself insulated from party affiliations and remain above caste and religious considerations. Counting measures taken by his goverment for tribals, Soren said the community members need to become job creators for upliftment of the tribal youth at large.
The two-day tribal festival, being organised for the first time in the state, started on Tuesday will witness several cultural programmes, seminars and panel discussions and display of diverse tribal cuisine. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will be the chief guest on Wednesday.
