Joining BJP to save tribal identity and existence: Champai Soren

PTI, Aug 28, 2024, 8:30 AM IST

Ranchi: Former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren on Tuesday asserted that he is joining the BJP to save tribal identity and existence, which is at stake in the state’s Santhal Pargana region due to “rampant” infiltration from Bangladesh.

The senior JMM leader, who briefly held the chief minister’s post after Hemant Soren’s resignation, said only the saffron party seems serious over the issue of tribals, while others are indulging in vote bank politics.

“Today, Bangladeshi infiltration has become a big problem in Santhal Pargana, the holy land of Baba Tilka Manjhi and Sido-Kanhu. What can be more unfortunate than the fact that these infiltrators are occupying the lands of the descendants of those heroes who never accepted slavery of the British… the dignity of our mothers, sisters and daughters is in danger,” Champai Soren said in a post on X.

The 67-year-old tribal leader earned the nickname ‘Jharkhand’s Tiger’ for his contribution to the fight to create a separate state in the 1990s. Jharkhand was carved out of the southern part of Bihar in 2000.

Champai Soren, who is in Delhi, is scheduled to arrive in Ranchi on Wednesday.

“If these intruders, who are causing economic and social harm to the tribals and natives, are not stopped, the existence of our society in Santhal Pargana will be in danger. In many areas including Pakur, Rajmahal, their number has become more than that of tribals. Apart from politics, we have to make this issue a social movement, only then the existence of tribals will be saved,” he said.

“Only BJP seems serious on this issue and other parties are ignoring it for the sake of vote bank politics. Therefore, in this struggle to save the identity and existence of the tribals, I have decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressing faith in the leadership of the honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi and Home Minister @AmitShah,” Champai Soren added.

The veteran politician had earlier said he experienced “bitter humiliation” as chief minister, which compelled him to seek an alternative path. He alleged that all his government programmes in the first week of July were abruptly cancelled by the party leadership without his knowledge.

The JMM leader had said he was left with three options – quit politics, float a party or join hands with a like-minded outfit.

“The people of Kolhan region stood with me at every step, and they rejected the option of taking ‘sanyas’. There was no such forum/platform in the party where I could express my pain and leaders senior to me are away from politics due to health reasons,” he said on Tuesday, apparently referring to JMM supremo Shibu Soren under whose leadership he participated in the movement for a separate Jharkhand.

“Your cooperation is expected in this new chapter of struggle for the issues and rights of the tribals, natives, Dalits, backward classes, poor, labourers, farmers, women, youth and common people of Jharkhand,” the former CM said.

Champai Soren had assumed office as the 12th chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, shortly after his predecessor Hemant Soren resigned just before being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.