Big fish eat little ones; greater tribal unity needed: Hemant Soren

Ranchi, Dec 5 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday urged the tribal communities across the country to stand united warning that else they may face extinction.

He used the "big fish eat little fish" proverb to buttress his point.

Asserting that tribal community never gets its due place in census, Soren said it was time to fight for their rights as challenges will keep increasing.

"Today, the people have chosen me as the chief minister of Jharkhand. But I know that as we move forward, the challenges will keep increasing. You must have seen that a big fish always tries to eat the little fish," Soren said addressing tribal representatives gathered here from different parts of the country.

Unless and until the community is united, they may face systemic marginalisation and neglect, the JMM president cautioned.

Recalling the legacy of legendary freedom fighters and revolutionaries like Birsa Munda, Sido-Kanhu, Tilka Manjhi and 'Dishom Guru' (leader of the land) Shibu Soren, he said Jharkhand is not merely a state but "the land of Mother Earth" that leads the tribal society of the entire nation.

The CM said that the tribal community must assert its rights, fight for its land, protect its cultural identity and safeguard its existence.

He stressed that tribal people can progress only through collective unity and that their struggles must no longer remain isolated or unheard.

"The tribal people of the country will have to unite and fight together so that our problems do not remain mere voices but become an agenda of national politics," he said, adding that tribal society must recognise itself as a community with a shared past and an equally shared future.

He lamented that the tribal community has not been able to produce an extensive written record of its civilisation.

"We are worshippers of nature; our document is nature itself," he posted on X insisting that the world must recognise that indigenous lifestyles rooted in nature are crucial for global ecological balance.

Pointing to the alleged depletion of the Hasdeo forest in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and the environmental crisis in Delhi, Soren said the world was now finally facing the consequences of ignoring ecological preservation - something tribals have upheld for generations.

The chief minister raised concerns over the natural wealth of Jharkhand, urging people to reflect on whether its mineral richness has been a blessing or a curse.

He argued that nature and tribal society have never been prioritised in national policy making, despite being central to environmental sustainability.

He warned that a society deeply connected to water, forests and land has continuously been pushed to the margins, even as environmental threats intensify.

Soren voiced strong dissatisfaction over the lack of adequate representation of tribal populations in national censuses.

He said that while every section of society receives recognition and categorisation, tribals often do not receive their rightful place in demographic exercises.

If this continues, he warned, the community may gradually be erased from the nation's consciousness.

He also highlighted the gaps in economic, social, intellectual and political opportunities available to tribal citizens, asking how many from the community have truly been allowed to advance in various fields.

Alleging political discrimination with tribal leaders, Soren said that except for the North East and a few states, tribals have rarely held chief ministerial positions.

He claimed that neighbouring states appointed tribal CMs only after Jharkhand elected one, illustrating how representation at the highest levels remains a significant challenge.

Soren informed the gathering that he had instructed his office to collect contact details of all tribal representatives present so that communication, coordination and solidarity could be strengthened.

He assured them that whenever he visits their states, he will meet them personally.

"Yes, if we unite as a group, then we can move forward as a great power," he said, emphasising that isolated struggles cannot secure a collective future.

He said that the tribal community has always played a significant role in various fields and has produced countless brave men and women but lamented that the community has been forced to remain divided for far too long.

The chief minister reaffirmed his commitment to standing firmly with all indigenous societies and announced that his government will prepare a detailed action plan aimed at building a strong, unified and empowered tribal society.

As the challenges ahead grow, he said, unity will be the only shield. PTI NAM NN