Ranchi: Tribal leader Salkhan Murmu on Monday issued a clarion call to oust the BJP-led government in Jharkhand, addressing a 10,000-people strong rally of supporters and promising to put up candidates in all 81 Assembly seats in the elections of 2019.
Addressing the gathering, who had come from various parts of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bihar, Bengal, Odisha and Assam, Murmu alleged that poor tribals, dalits and OBCs, in particular, had been cheated by all mainstream political parties.
"We would be fielding ST candidates in 30 Assembly seats, SCs in 10, Muslims in 15 and OBCs in the remaining 26 seats so that people get a feel of having their own government in the state," the Adivasi Sengal Abhiyan president told the rally that began at 1pm and went on for over three hours.
"After our sustained efforts, tribals have begun to unite. Now, new campaigns will be launched to unite SCs, OBCs and minority communities. Our next public rally will be held at this ground on March 18, next year. Before this, we will be holding a meeting with representatives of various organisations on November 1 to finalise action plans," he said.
Murmu said they would also be contesting Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections, but did elaborate whether Abhiyan would field candidates in all 14 parliamentary constituencies of the state.
Referring to the recent cases of alleged starvation deaths in Simdega and Dhanbad, Murmu blamed the erroneous policies of BJP-led governments at the Centre and state. He appealed to tribals to safeguard their land, property, culture and traditions and realise Birsa Munda's dream of "abua dishom, abua raj (my country or land, our rule)".
"Wherever I go, people ask me when the things will change. They are frustrated with the state's local residents policy, the move to amend land acquisition laws and the new law restricting religious conversions. Other political parties have begun uniting in the run-up to 2019 elections. But, we are unifying the society," he said.
Murmu urged MLAs representing SC/ST reserved seats to sit together and work out amicable solutions. And if they couldn't, he demanded they put in their papers, which would lead to the collapse of the Raghubar Das government. "Unless, we get rid of this government nothing will change for the better," Murmu, a former BJP MP, argued.
All India Backward (SC, ST, OBC) and Minority Communities Employees Federation president Waman Meshram, who was chief guest, burnt a copy of the Land Acquisition Act amendment bill and promised to burn copies Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act and other laws at the March 18 rally.
