Ranchi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Champai Soren on Sunday flags serious concern over the misuse of reservation benefits given exclusively to the tribal (Adivasi/Janjati) community.
Speaking at the annual conference of Santhali language literature at Jamtara, Soren said that reservation benefits should not be given to people who have converted to another religion.
“Those who have changed their religion and left the customary practices of Adivasi community shouldn’t be allowed to avail the benefits of reservation under any condition,” said Soren.
How can someone be liable to become a leader of the community and avail benefits of reservation associated with it if he is not part of our customary practices or religion, asked Champai?
He further questioned that who will be left to read, write or speak our traditional language if our religious places and culture will not be protected.
The former leader of the Jharkhand Multi Morcha (JMM) also trained guns on the incumbent government, stating that the conduct of Adivasi community are being determined according to their traditional practices since before the British, though the same has been overlooked in the government which came to power on the name of tribals.
“Today, particularly in Santhal neither our tribal mother and sisters, nor the water forest and lands of the community are safe. The Adivasis are being forced to leave their land due to illegal infiltration, land Jihad and conversion,” said the former CM who contested and secured his victory from Kolhan after joining the BJP before assembly elections held last year.
भाजपा नेता सह पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री @ChampaiSoren ने बांग्लादेशी घुसपैठ, संतालों की जमीन, अस्मिता और अस्तित्व की रक्षा के लिए उलगुलान का ऐलान किया है। pic.twitter.com/7cI7BCoFo0
— DD News Jharkhand | डीडी न्यूज झारखंड (@ddnewsjharkhand) March 24, 2025
Later on Soren in a post on X reiterated his stand on reservation and said “That those who have converted should not try to usurp the rights that are given to our society.”
He emphasised that we (Adivasi community) are nature worshippers, we worship mountains, rivers and nature, but these converted people stays away from our worship system and culture.
“Our tribal society in Jharkhand is facing a double whammy. On one hand, Bangladeshi infiltrators are looting the lands of the son of soils and on the other hands they are marrying the daughters of our society, encroaching on the rights given by the constitution through back door,” he added.
हम आदिवासी प्रकृति पूजक होते हैं – पहाड़ों, नदियों एवं प्रकृति की पूजा करते हैं। लेकिन ये धर्मांतरित लोग हमारी पूजन पद्धति एवं संस्कृति से दूर रहते हैं।
हजारों साल पुरानी हमारी संस्कृति को नकार कर धर्म परिवर्तन कर रहे इन लोगों से हमें कोई दिक्कत नहीं है, लेकिन वे जिस धर्म में… pic.twitter.com/81SxcsDqa5
— Champai Soren (@ChampaiSoren) March 24, 2025
He further pointed out “that other than the infiltrators there are people who are conversting innocent tribals by cheating them, luring them or taking advantage of their helplessness.”
He also underscored that the tribal society has to think that despite the implementation of SAPT Act in Santhal Pargana, on whose land have these intruders settled and how?
The BJP leader however received a quick reply from JMM MlA Hemlal Murmu who alleged that Champai has been making such statements for political gains.
