Droupadi’s nomination shines light on Santhal community

Bhubaneswar: The announcement of Droupadi Murmu’s name for the presidential election has put the spotlight on the Santhals, the third-largest ethnic tribal group in India.
Bishweswar Tudu, the Union minister of state for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs, and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu belong to the same community and all three are natives of tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district. Girish Chandra was also the first lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir after it was carved out as a Union Territory in 2019.
Bishweswar said a sense of accomplishment prevails among the entire Santhal community with Droupadi’s nomination. “At a personal level, I got emotional, especially since Droupadi jee is from my community and my district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s commitment towards upliftment of tribals is immeasurable,” Bishweswar said.
“Parties which ruled the country for more than five decades should learn from the way all sections of society have got what they deserve from Modi government’s ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ policy,” added Bishweswar, who was made a minister of state at the Centre despite being a first-time MP.
Kishore Kumar Basa, vice-chancellor of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, said Santhals stand out among tribals for their high literacy rate and higher education status, like that of the Meena tribe in Rajasthan. “Across the eastern region, they are not only dominating in numbers, but also in their education status. There are so many santhals in prominent places,” Basa said pointing out that Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren is also a Santhal.
With an estimated population of 74 lakh, the Santhal community is third largest tribe after Bhil and Gond. They are spread across Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh among other states. In Odisha, they reside mainly in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as well as in Keonjhar, and their number would be around nine lakh.
According to the SCs and STs Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, Santhals in Odisha are divided into several clans and sub-clans. Jaher, the sacred grove on the outskirts of Santhal villages, are regarded as the abode of all their deities.