‘Only BJP has worked for tribal welfare’

Dumka: At a time when at least 29,000 tribals stand to be evicted from their traditional forest habitats in Jharkhand, chief minister Raghubar Das on Sunday said it is BJP that has always worked for tribal welfare — from recognizing languages to appointing a tribal governor.
“Over the past seven decades of Congress rule with support from JMM, there has been no significant work for the welfare of the tribal community,” Das said here at a programme organized by the Adiwasi Santhali Bhasha Olchiki Lipi Shiksha Abhiyan to felicitate him for the recognition of the Olchiki script. The Raghubar Das government recognized the Olchiki script recently through an ordinance, meeting a long-pending demand to preserve Santhali literature and language.

About 2,000 workers, most from the tribal community, attended the event, which is being widely seen as a hastily put together counter-plan against the ongoing phase of the Sangharsh Yatra by former CM and JMM’s working president Hemant Soren in Santhal Pargana, also intended to strengthen the party’s base among tribals.

In contrast, Das said, the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state have always worked to “preserve” tribal culture and well-being of the community.

“Whether it is the inclusion of the Santhali language in the Eighth Schedule or recognition of the Olchiki script, it is the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state that have made these a reality soon after coming to power,” he said. The government has also planned for all its establishments and offices to have signboards in the Olchiki script. Besides, the railway ministry will be urged to ensure all announcements at stations under Santhal Pargana are made in Santhali as well.

Finally, the chief minister said the appointment of Droupadi Murmu as governor is also a “symbol of the pro-tribal policies” of the saffron party.