RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Sept 27: More than 50 tribal organisations on Tuesday observed day-long fasting at Vapu Vatika in Morabadi to protest against the conspiracy to encroach the constitutional rights of tribal by Kurmi community.
The protest was organised under the aegis of Adivasi Adhikar Rakhsa Manch.
Notably, the protestors expressed concern over the way the union government remained tightlipped through Kurmi’s demand for ST status as they damaged railway property and disrupted the movement of trains in five states including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhatisgarh for five days.
Former MLA Geetashree Oraon, former MP Salkhan Murmu, Jharkhand Buddhijeevi Manch president PC Murmu and Scheduled Tribes Confederation President LM Oraon have led this movement.
The leaders were of the opinion that the Kurmi community is part of Hindu society, and it is not tribal in any way.
According to them, Kurmi is socio-religiously, economically, spiritually, intellectually and ideologically different from tribals and they had a different way of living along with customs, religion, culture, tradition and civilization.
Their background and their history have been completely different from the tribals and it is different in different states, they opined.
Protestors expressed their concern over their demand for tribal status and alleged that the demand was raised on the provocation of the BJP. The protestors threatened countrywide agitation against the demand of Kurmi.
