Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday gave a clarion call to the country’s tribals to be united to fight for their existence, saying destructive forces and religious fanatics were out to oppress them and control their resources. He said tribal society is unorganised and divided and that is the reason why their issues, whether in Manipur or Jharkhand, are unheard.
'There should be talks among them to fight the forces that are all out to control their natural resources, identity and culture,' Soren said addressing the Jharkhand Adivasi Mahotsav here. Tribals in various parts of the country including Manipur, Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are struggling for their identity, while destructive forces are all out to oppress them, he said.
In a veiled attack on the BJP, he said those who have not caste have been branded as 'Janjati' and 'Vanvasi' by the destructive forces. "Around 80 per cent people displaced because of industries, projects, dams and mines are tribals, but the 'cruel system' did not try to find out their whereabouts," he said.
He said major coal companies were handed over lakhs of acres of tribal land without any rehabilitation plan.