Tribal outfits protest ST status for Kurmis, call for ‘Hunkar Rally’ in Ranchi on October 17

Mail News Service

Ranchi, Oct 16: Tribal organizations in Jharkhand have strongly opposed the demand to include the Kurmi community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.

The opposition took shape at a press conference organized by the Adivasi Bachao Morcha at Karmatoli Central Dhumkudia on Thursday, where leaders outlined their strategy.

TAC member Narayan Uraon emphasized that the tribal community is standing firm to protect its identity and existence.

He stated that the 33 tribal communities of Jharkhand have requested the central government to include only those communities in the ST list that meet constitutional and cultural criteria for being recognized as tribal.

Uraon clarified that the Kurmi community does not fulfill these conditions.

To safeguard their religious practices, traditional priest systems (pahan), and tribal lands, the tribal organizations have called a Hunkar Rally on October 17 at Prabhat Tara Maidan, Dhurwa.

Johnson Gudiya, president of the Jharkhand Ulgulan Manch, urged all tribal members to come to Ranchi, asserting that the community will no longer tolerate encroachments on their rights.

Member Sudarshan Bhegra said granting ST status to the Kurmi community would be an attack on tribal identity.

Social activist Laxminarayan Munda described the movement as a struggle to protect tribal reservations, traditions, and existence.

Thousands of Sarna followers from Jharkhand and neighbouring states are expected to participate.

Bablu Munda, president of the Central Sarna Committee, highlighted that this is the first time all tribal organizations are uniting on a single platform.

Seven proposals are set to be passed during the rally. Social activist Premshahi Munda reiterated that the Kurmi ST demand is unconstitutional and has been rejected by the Tribal Research Institute (TRI).

The event also saw the presence of senior leaders including former minister Devkumar Dhan, Jaglal Pahan, Parmeshwar Munda, Balku Uraon, and Basudev Bhagat, president of Khadiya Sarna Vikas Samiti, Ranchi.