By Rabindra Nath Sinha
RANCHI: Outfits of social activists in Jharkhand have been active in countering the highly divisive campaigns by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for the impending Assembly elections as the partners of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition lagged behind the BJP-led Opposition in concluding seat-sharing deals for the 81-member House and selection of candidates. BJP was able to launch its campaign almost two weeks back and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already addressed meetings in two places. But, the ruling side has just managed to release its composite manifesto. Although the first of the two-phase election is scheduled for November 13, it is yet to start its campaign on a serious note.
The pivot of BJP’s campaign is how illegal infiltration from Bangladesh is distorting the state’s demography, particularly in the Santhal Pargana division. The sufferers are the tribals, the BJP speakers have been stressing in their speeches some of which are inflammatory. Seasoned political observers see in BJP leaders’ campaigns a clear attempt to target muslims, although they are not directly referring to the community, which accounts for some 15 per cent of the Jharkhand’s population.
What is more intriguing is that BJP has opted for this strategy although Jharkhand does not share any international boundary. The frequency of the reference to illegal immigration by senior BJP leaders who include, among others, Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nishikant Dubey has left some politicians wondering whether the BJP leaders have forgotten that they are campaigning in Jharkhand and not in Assam or West Bengal.
The 30 plus organisations of social activists, which function in the format of a campaign under the name and style of Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (LBA), some time back undertook a fact-finding study and veered round to view that there is practically no basis for BJP to make such sweeping allegations. There may be a few stray cases but generalisation is not warranted. An overwhelming view in political quarters is that by this tactics, BJP is aiming to win back the support of the tribal community, which is a determining factor in 28 Assembly constituencies, that is, over 30 per cent of the seats.
In the 2019 Assembly elections and in this year’s Lok Sabha elections the party fared poorly and that marked a setback to the party’s aim of creating a solid support base among the tribals on a pan-India basis. Lending credibility to this premise is the party’s declaration that when the NDA government moves to introduce Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Jharkhand, it will ensure provision for immunity to tribals. While time will tell how BJP negotiates this tricky path, the declaration does speak of the party’s disregard for the premise of UCC that stresses the need for formulation of a common set of laws for the entire nation.
The issue is already before courts of law. Providing some comfort to BJP is the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to constitute a fact-finding team comprising state and Union government officials. This has been challenged by the Jharkhand government. Also mentionworthy in this context is the Jharkhand government’s special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court, wherein it has been pointed out that the Centre has failed to provide any data to “support the claim that illegal immigration is causing a reduction of the tribal population in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region”.[Extracted from the first para of a report published in The Hindu edition of October 26, 2024 edition].
A public manifesto released a few weeks back by LBA has demanded setting up of a displacement and rehabilitation commission to take care of the people whose existence is at stake after their land was requisitioned for projects but did not receive adequate compensation for resettlement. The Jharkhand Land Acquisition Act, 2017, which diluted provisions of the original Central legislation in the interest of industrialists should be repealed. Rules should be formulated under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996 and arrangements according to the Sixth Schedule should be made in the tribal-dominated areas, such as, Kolhan and Damini.
The manifesto also calls for serious efforts by the new government to tone up the state’s weak education and public health infrastructure within a pre-determined timeframe. A demand has also been made for setting up a high-level judicial commission to close cases against tribals, indigenous people and the marginalised who are trapped n false cases. Release of under-trial prisioners who have already spent a long time in jails should be favourably considered. The manifesto notes that Jharkhand’s administrative and police systems “often operate with a communal and anti-poor mindset” and expresses the hope that the in-coming government will pay attention to this humanitarian issue.
Meanwhile, when asked about BJP’s thrust on the illegal immigration issue, CPI-ML(Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told IPA they already have under their control Chhattisgarh and Odisha and now they are eyeing Jharkhand. All three are very rich in mineral resources and they will explore all avenues to allocate mineral resources to their topmost favourite — the A Group. Also, if BJP uses the communal card beyond a point in Jharkhand where Adivasis matter the most, the state may run the risk of having to witness a Manipur-like situation, Bhattacharya observed. A victory for the JMM-led alliance is a must in the interest of this backward state. CPI-ML (L) has put up four candidates, including two of erstwhile Marxist Coordination Committee. He has already held workers’ meetings and would camp in Jharkhand from November 11-18 for campaigning.
Social policy researcher Siraj Datta, who is actively associated with LBA, told IPA LBA, is anti-fascist and anti-Sangh Parivar. It is keen on return of the ruling alliance. “See, in electoral politics if as a matter of principle you are against a party or a formation, you automatically favour a party or coalition which works to strengthen democracy and raise the living standards of the poor and downtrodden”. That explains the campaign’s stance, Datta added. Social activist Afzal Anis, who is also associated with LBA, told IPA that in his assessment BJP’s divisive and communal gameplan won’t find many takers among the electorate. “I don’t think muslim voters will give undue importance to BJP’s communal rhetorics. Events and incidents have enlightened them. But, yes, the election is most likely to be closely-fought battle”, Anis observed.
In the 81-memberassembly, nine seats are reserved for SCs and 44 are general category seats. Further, 28 seats are reserved for STs. There are this time 2.6 crore electors of whom 11.84 lakh are first-timers. (IPA Service)