Kurmis demanding ST status call for Jharkhand bandh on April 23
: With demand for scheduled tribe (ST) status for the numerically and politically dominant Kurmis gathering steam in the state, social organisations fighting for the cause have called for a day-long Jharkhand bandh on April 23.
The bandh called by the community’s umbrella group, Kurmi-Kurdmi Vikas Morcha, would be held three days ahead of a rally called by tribal groups in state capital to protest the demand.
As per the 2011 census, tribals make 26.2% of Jharkhand’s 3.29 crore population. While the caste census numbers are still under wraps, the political and community activists among Kurmis estimate their population share in the state to be around 23%. Kurmis are currently categorised under other backward castes (OBC).
“At the January 28 rally in Ranchi we had adopted a resolution giving the state government one month ultimatum to recommend ST status for Kurmis to the Centre. However, Raghubar Das government has neither sent any recommendation nor come up with any commitment over the issue. So we have decided to hit the streets,” said Sheetal Ohdar, convener of Kurmi-Kurdmi Vikas Morcha.
Ohdar said bandh would be peaceful with primary objective to ensure lakhs of people court arrest on April 23. “We want to show our strength. The community members would hit the streets in traditional attire and court arrest across the state,” he added.
The demand, however, has been facing resistance from the tribal groups who have described it as an attempt to ‘grab land and jobs of tribals’.
Tribal groups had organised ‘Aakrosh’ rally in Ranchi on March 8 to protest the demand, warning all political parties not to support the demand.
An umbrella organisation of tribals, Adivasi Raksha Samanwaya Samiti, which claims support of 32 tribal sub-castes has now called for another rally in Ranchi on April 26.
“We are going to protest the demand tooth and nail. Kurmis are politically and economically dominant. If their demand is met, they will get away with all our jobs and land. Even the position of elected representatives from those in local body to Parliament would be captured by them,” said Dev Kumar Dhan, a former minister and convener of the association.
Dhan said few political parties were supporting the demand and they would have to pay a price for it as there was an undercurrent among the tribals against the development.
“Even tribal MLAs and MPs supporting the demand would be at the receiving end,” he added.
RANCHI
COUNTER ATTACK Protesting the demand, tribal groups have decided to hold rally three days later at Morhabadi ground in state capital