THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, July 19: A day ahead of the extended BJP executive committee meeting here, party chief Babulal Marandi shot off a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking a probe into the decreasing number of tribals in Santhal Pargana.
Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend the meeting to be held at Jagannath Maidan in Dhurva.
Marandi, in his letter, has pointed out that the population of tribal society in Santhal Pargana is continuously decreasing.
“Santhal Pargana, which has been a geographically and culturally very important area for the tribals living here, whose identity has been a part of the identity of the tribal society here. But in recent decades, clouds of crisis are looming over this area,” he has said.
Illegal migration of Bangladeshi intruders
Blaming the illegal migration of Bangladeshi intruders, Marandi said that the tribal society is engaged in saving its existence and resources.
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“Intruders are rapidly settling there and are threatening the water, forest and land of the tribal society, and are torturing mothers, sisters and children with their criminal acts. Even Bangladeshi intruders are forcibly marrying the sisters of the tribal society by luring and threatening them and occupying their land,” he has said.
Referring to the Census data, he has said in the year 1951, the number of tribals in Santhal Pargana was 44.67%, whereas today it has come down to only 28.11%. “If this continues, the day is not far when the Santhals will become a minority in Santhal Pargana, and this Santhal Pargana, known as the land of tribals, will lose its identity,” he feared.
Tribals and Muslims have become almost equal
“Based on estimated figures, it is reflected in Santhal Pargana that there is not much difference in the population of the tribal community and Muslim community in the year 2021 census, or it can also be said that in the year 2021 census, the population of the tribal community and Muslim community has become almost equal. This has been predicted since before and it seems to be proving true,” he said.
The former chief minister has also annexed a document containing official population data of the Santhal Pargana region.
Alarm bell for tribal community
“The estimated figures of the 2031 census indicate that the population of the Muslim community will exceed that of the tribal community. This is going to be an alarm bell for the tribal community. If the Muslim population continues to grow at the pace of 2001 and 2011, then according to the estimated figures, the population of the Muslim community in Santhal Pargana will be more than that of the tribal community, which is quite worrying,” he said.
He concluded, saying the chief minister should take cognizance of this serious and sensitive issue and recommend the formation of an SIT and an investigation so that the mystery behind the decreasing population of the tribal community can be exposed.
