Marandi Claims Congress-JMM Plot to Split Tribal Unity

Ranchi, May 24. In a strongly worded statement, Jharkhand Opposition Leader Babulal Marandi has accused the ruling Congress-JMM alliance of actively working to divide the tribal population along religious and social lines. Addressing journalists at the BJP headquarters, Marandi said the two parties’ opposition to the upcoming Adivasi Samagam in Delhi has once again exposed their anti-tribal mindset. He argued that Sarna, Sanatan, and Hindu traditions are deeply interconnected, sharing reverence for nature and the elements. The leader emphasized that these faiths celebrate diversity, much like the numerous castes and deities within Sanatan Dharma and the more than 700 tribal groups across India, including 32-33 in Jharkhand. Marandi rejected propaganda suggesting that tribals are being forcibly converted to Hinduism, stating that such conversions do not exist in these traditions. Instead, he claimed, Christian missionaries and Muslim groups actively seek converts, while Sarna, Sanatan, and Hindu identities are natural and inborn. He accused Congress of following the colonial “divide and rule” strategy even after independence, despite Mahatma Gandhi’s advice to disband the party. The senior BJP leader also criticized the state government for altering PESA rules, which he said undermines tribal self-governance and traditional practices to safeguard political interests. He expressed concern over the silence of Congress and JMM on conversions happening in tribal areas and vowed that an awakened society would resist any attempts to sow discord among its members.