Nishikant Dubey, a four-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Jharkhand’s Godda constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), shares his views on various issues related to the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly Polls in a conversation with Organiser’s Senior Assistant Editor, Nishant Kumar Azad. Dubey expresses his concerns over the rising number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the issue of ‘Land Jihad,’ and the declining Tribal population in the State. He further cautions that if the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) returns to power, it might undermine the legacy of genuine freedom fighters and patriots while solely promoting Shibu Soren. Excerpts:
How do you see the 2024 Jharkhand elections shaping up, especially with the focus on Santhal Pargana and the growing concerns over illegal Bangladeshi immigrants?
I first became an MP in 2009, and from then until now, Ihave repeatedly highlighted the harrowing situation in Santhal Pargana. The issue of illegal immigrants isn’t confined to Santhal Pargana alone. In Bihar—be it Purnea, Araria, Katihar, or Kishanganj—and in Bengal’s Malda and Murshidabad, or places like Pakur, Dumka, Deogarh, and Sahebganj in Jharkhand, wherever there are Tribals, they face a threat due to shifting demographics. If this trend continues,we might someday have to consider creating Union Territories (UTs) to protect Tribals. However, our aim is to maintain Jharkhand’s unity. My mention of UTs was merely to draw attention to this crisis. How can we envision Jharkhand without Santhal Pargana, especially when under the current JMM Government, Tribals are losing their land and rights? This issue has troubled both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister
Amit Shah. However, direct Union Government’s intervention is limited by the State’s law and order jurisdiction, though our consistent warnings have led to several PILs in the Court. From1951 to 2011, the Tribal population has declined from 51 per cent to 28 per cent, while the Muslim population has risen from 9 per cent to 24 per cent. Unlike the national average increase of 4 per cent in the Muslim population, Santhal Pargana has seen a rise of 15-16 per cent. With no significant migration pull factors like industries or job opportunities, the influx of Muslims indicates the presence of illegal immigrants who have forged documents such as AADHAR cards and voter IDs. They marry Tribal women, seize their lands, and then spread deeper into the country. This election is a battle to save Santhal Pargana and address the illegal immigrant crisis
On the poll count, it seems that BJP has not won the faith of Tribals. While the Union Govt in the last decade has come up with so many welfare schemes solely dedicated for Tribals, be it the election of 2019 or Lok Sabhain2024, the reserved seats do not seem to vote for BJP. Could you expect anything different this time round?
It’s true that we have underperformed in certain ST- reserved seats, like Jamtara. However, the reason isn’t a lack of support from Tribals but rather the influence of illegal immigrants voting against us. On the seats we’ve lost, there’s a clear demographic shift with Bangladeshi Muslims acquiring forged voter IDs. For example, in Pakur, where Muslims form a majority, we lost by a margin of 81,000 votes. Instances of violence against Tribals, such as rapes in villages like Gopinathpur and Taranagar, go unchecked, with thousands of Muslims from neighbouring Bengal areas like Murshidabad suppressing their voices. Our electoral defeats aren’t due to disapproval of Tribals but are influenced by illegal immigrants swaying the votes.
You’ve alleged that Hemant Soren is trying to elevate Shibu Soren to the level of Sidho-Kanhu and Birsa Munda. You also claim that if JMM returns to power, it will install statues of Shibu Soren across the State. What is the basis for this statement?
While we respect Shibu Soren, comparing him to figures like Tilka Manjhi, Sidho-Kanhu, and Bhagwan Birsa Munda is inappropriate. Many leaders, including our own Babulal Marandi, played significant roles in the Jharkhand Movement. The NDA Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Jharkhand along with Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. We respect the legacy but do not believe in politicising it. If the JMM returns to power, it might diminish the contributions of actual freedom fighters to promote Shibu Soren’s image, undermining the historical figures, who genuinely contributed to Jharkhand’s formation.
We are Committed to implementing NRC and UCC. Through these measures we aim to identify and remove illegal settlers, thus safeguarding land rights of tribals
The BJP manifesto promises to implement the NRC and UCC. How will these be applied in Jharkhand, and what impact would they have on tribals?
The NRC will be enforced, and illegal immigrants will be made to leave. The UCC won’t negatively affect Tribals; we respect their local customs and cultural practices, many of which align with Hindu traditions. The NRC and UCC are constitutional commitments, and our focus on these issues in Jharkhand is to protect Tribals rights and ensure that illegal settlers are evicted.
How does the BJP plan to tackle the issue of Tribal land grabbing, particularly after the alleged marriages by illegal Muslim migrants with Tribal women?
We will address this issue by ensuring that children born from such unions cannot claim Tribal status. We are committed to implementing NRC and UCC. Through these measures, we aim to identify and remove illegal settlers, thus safeguarding land rights of Tribals.
Several former BJP leaders have recently joined the JMM. Is this a sign of a future crisis for the party?
Some individuals may be driven by personal ambitions or greed. It’s unfortunate but not unexpected. As a party committed to national unity and patriotism, we prioritise ideological commitment over personal interests. I hope these leaders will eventually realise their mistake and return.
There are allegations of nepotism within the BJP in Jharkhand. What is your response to this?
Apart from a few deserving candidates like Champai Soren, we haven’t allocated more than one ticket per family. Even when family members of existing politicians are given tickets, they have earned their positions through years of dedicated service, not because of family ties.
