SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, January 13: After celebrating the contribution of tribal icon Birsa Munda, the BJP has now lined up a mega-conference here of tribals from over a dozen states to honour Tilka Manjhi’s martyrdom.
Today, the BJP Scheduled Tribes (ST) Morcha met with the office bearers of the North-Eastern States Morcha and chalked out a plan.
First armed rebellion
Tilka Majhi led the Adivasi rebellion in 1784, which is considered the first armed rebellion against the British and the beginning of the Santhal Hool. He was caught in 1784, tied to a horse’s tail, and dragged to the Collector’s residence at Bhagalpur, Bihar. There, his lacerated body was hung from a Banyan tree.
So, Baba Tilka Manjhi, though belonged to the Paharia community, is highly revered in Santhal Pargana, a stronghold of the ruling JMM in Jharkhand. Now, the BJP aims to woo the Santhal and the Paharia communities in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections by commemorating Tilka Manjhi’s martyrdom.
PM in hearts of tribals
National General Secretary Morcha and National Incharge Radhamohan Das Aggarwal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi resides in the hearts of the people of tribal society.
He said that the election results of three states have made it clear that the tribal society has openly expressed its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP with full strength and dedication.
He said that the tribal community is completely excited by Modi ji’s policies and his work done for the tribal community in the last nine years, along with the social and political prestige given to the tribal community.
Tribal daughter as President
He said that for the first time in 75 years, making a daughter of a tribal community the President, honouring all the tribal great men of the country, declaring Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on the birth anniversary of Dharti Aba Birsa Munda, making eight tribal ministers in the Modi cabinet, PM JANMAN and many such works including sustainable development of tribals through the scheme connect 10-12% tribal population of the country with the BJP and Modi.
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He said a vast tribal conference with lakhs of people will be organised in Ranchi on February 11. “The date of this conference has been fixed on the birth anniversary of Tilak Manjhi. This will be an act of honouring the martyrdom of Baba Tilka Manjhi on the national stage through this conference,” he added.
Tribals from 12 states to attend the conference
He said that people from the states of Jharkhand, Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya will also participate in this conference.
Besides Radhamohan Das Agarwal, others who attended the meeting they included BJP State President Babulal Marandi, ST Morcha National President and Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon, Organization General Secretary Karmaveer Singh, Morcha State President Shivshankar Oraon, National General Secretary Kaliram Manjhi, National Minister and in-charge Nikki Hembram, Morcha in-charge Ramkumar Pahan, Chhattisgarh ST Morcha President Vikas Markham, Orissa ST Morcha President MLA Nityanand Gond, Bengal ST Morcha General Secretary Megha Soren, and General Secretary Ashutosh Sardar.
