Jharkhand's indigenous populace backward as state ignored by policymakers: CM

Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Sep 8 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday alleged that the apathy of policymakers for the state has left the indigenous populace backward.

He was speaking at a programme at Noamundi in West Singhbhum district where he inaugurated and laid the foundation of 96 development projects worth over Rs 201.83 crore and distributed assets worth Rs 103.41 crore among beneficiaries.

Earlier, he paid floral tributes at a martyrs' memorial dedicated to statehood agitators who were killed in Bihar Police firing in Gua on this day in 1980.

"Jharkhand used to be known as 'sone ki chidiya' (golden bird)... it has an abundance of mineral deposits but the local Adivasis and Moolvasis (indigenous populace) lagged behind," the CM said.

"Policymakers never gave importance to Jharkhand and left the local people to work as labourers, forcing them to migrate in search of livelihood," he alleged.

The CM claimed that Rs 1.36 lakh crore of Jharkhand was still due with the Centre.

"Had we received the amount, we would have changed the fate and direction of the state," he claimed.

Referring to the Gua firing incident, the CM said, "We have never forgotten this day as our martyrs have been our guiding force and we are marching in the right direction, following their footsteps." Jharkhand has been a land of warriors and tribals have always fought against injustice, exploitation and atrocities, he said.

"Tribals have always struggled for their rights but have never bowed before anyone nor have ever compromised with their honour or self-respect but rather preferred to sacrifice their lives.

"We have fought for separate statehood for long and many people sacrificed their lives for the cause... every drop of tribal blood makes us stronger. We will continue to fight for our rights," he asserted.

Since the JMM-led government came to power, it has been facing challenges including the global pandemic in the initial two years and now the threat of drought for the last two years, the CM said.

Despite all adversity, Soren claimed his government has continued to implement various welfare schemes in the interest of the masses.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Champai Soren, accompanied by former MP Geeta Koda and ex-CM Madhu Koda, also paid floral homage to those killed in the Gua firing incident at the martyrs' memorial.

Speaking to reporters, he alleged that all police firing incidents, including those at Serengda and Ichahatu, took place under the Congress regime.

"Congress has always been against the interest of the tribal community and the reason behind the massacres was our struggle for separate Jharkhand state and 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' (water, forest and land)," Champai Soren, who recently joined the BJP, said.

Congress never understood the sentiments of tribals but it was former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who formed Jharkhand state in 2000.

"We must know the history... all police firing related to the separate statehood movement took place under the Congress government," Champai Soren claimed.

Jharkhand came into being 24 years ago but is now facing a complex problem of Bangladeshi infiltration, particularly in the Santal Paragana region, where tribal icons such as Sido and Kanho fought the British, he said.

No political party has ever raised the issue but BJP did it in the interest of the tribals, he said, adding that the tribal community in Santal Pargana was in trouble and the party would stand by them. PTI BS ACD