Reservation for OBC, Sarna code, 1932 domicile policy, opposition to Waqf Amendment among resolutions
Ranchi, April 14: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren fiercely attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the JMM’s 13th central convention held at Ranchi.
He said that the tribal-indigenous, Dalit, oppressed, exploited people of Jharkhand, fed up with oppression, had ousted the double engine government from power in the year 2019.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day central convention which started on the birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, Hemant Soren said that the tribal-indigenous, poor, Dalit, oppressed, exploited people of Jharkhand, fed up with oppression, had ousted the double engine government from power in the year 2019.
He said that the sapling planted by Guruji has taken the form of a huge tree today. He said that since the formation of Jharkhand state, the tribals, natives, Dalits were being exploited and harassed here.
Hemant Soren said that in the year 2019, when the Mahagathbandhan (JMM, Congress, RJD) government was formed under the leadership of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, attempts were made to harass and destroy it. Despite all the efforts of the opposition party, the Abua government of Jharkhand did not accept to bow down. The Abua government is taking decisions in the interests of the common people of Jharkhand.
Hemant Soren said that after the formation of Jharkhand state, power went into the hands of such people who had nothing to do with the tribals-natives.
“Due to the policies of the government, tribals, natives and farmers were being forced to commit suicide,” he claimed.
He said that his government (Hemant Soren’s government) is working in the interest of the common people. It is giving tribals and natives their rights.
Soren added that the JMM-led state government, which he referred to as the “Abua Sarkar” (our government), has stood firm in the face of political pressure. “Despite every effort from opposition parties, we have not bowed down. We are here to protect the interests of Jharkhand’s people,” he said.
He also acknowledged his political mentor and father, Shibu Soren—revered as ‘Guruji’—crediting him for teaching him the intricacies of grassroots politics. Hemant Soren is currently serving his third term as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister and is the working president of JMM.
The convention is expected to set the roadmap for JMM’s political and organisational strategy.
Senior party MLA Stephen Marandi read out the party’s political resolution, demanding 27% reservation for OBCs, implementation of a 1932-based domicile policy, recognition of the Sarna Dharma Code, nationwide caste census and 75% job reservation for locals in the private sector.
The party reaffirmed its opposition to the Waqf Act amendments and the proposed delimitation process.
Formed in 1972, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha began as a tribal rights movement under the leadership of Shibu Soren. Originally a grassroots platform advocating for the creation of a separate tribal state, the party played a central role in the formation of Jharkhand in 2000 after decades of struggle and sacrifice.
Now, with the 2024 general elections behind and assembly elections in neighbouring states approaching, the JMM appears ready to broaden its reach and redefine its identity on the national stage.
