Politics of Assertion

Tribals in Jharkhand started their movement to preserve and protect their identity, culture and rights which led to the formation of Jharkhand in 2001. It was assumed by the masses that these leaders would work for the development of the state. However, with the passage of time, these leaders disassociated themselves from the masses and used the state machinery for their own personal benefit, corruption and loot. So in reality, the creation of a new state largely helped the adivasi political elites who later became oppressors rather than saviours.

Tribals in Jharkhand started their movement to preserve and protect their identity, culture and rights which led to the formation of Jharkhand in 2001. It was assumed by the masses that these leaders would work for the development of the state. However, with the passage of time, these leaders disassociated themselves from the masses and used the state machinery for their own personal benefit, corruption and loot. So in reality, the creation of a new state largely helped the adivasi political elites who later became oppressors rather than saviours. The common people in Jharkhand are still struggling for a square meal, be it tribal or non-tribal.

Today these handful of self-proclaimed adivasi leaders and so-called human rights activists are demanding a domicile policy that will benefit only 26.3% of the tribals while the remaining 73% non-tribals will be denied their rights for being non-tribal and “outsiders”. This position is not different from the position taken in the past by racists and others. This position is on the same line as the Hindu nationalism propagated by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its leaders in which the minority has hardly any space or voice.