The Jharkhand government, which has regularly been in controversy for wrong reasons since it came to power, has taken another decision that is set to generate massive backlash from the people of the state. Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), has notified new rules for the examination of grade III and grade IV employees and dropped Hindi and Sanskrit from the list of main language papers.
As per the new rules, the candidate must pass a language paper and s/he has the option to choose from 12 languages that include tribal languages besides Bengali, Odiya, and Urdu.
Earlier Hindi and Sanskrit were also in the list of languages that a candidate can opt for a language paper, but the Soren government dropped both of these languages and retained Urdu. So, the fact is that the people who know only Hindi are not eligible for the grade 3 and grade 4 jobs.
Moreover, the government has also made it mandatory that the candidates from non-reserved categories of the Jharkhand government must have passed class 10th and class 12th exams from the state. So, if the reserved category gives education in another state to their children, it is fine for the Jharkhand government, but the general category people cannot send their children outside the state, otherwise, they will not be eligible for JSSC jobs.
BJP plans to stage a vehement opposition against the move and is exploring legal options too. Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said that the Jharkhand government is trying to appease the minority community and discriminating against the Hindi speaking people.
“Earlier, subjects like Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu were also in the list of main language papers. But the new policy has kept Urdu but dropped Hindi and Sanskrit out of it. By the new policy, the government is discriminating against people living in certain regions of the state,” said Shahdeo.
The BJP spokesperson added: “In districts like Palamu and Garhwa, many people speak Bhojpuri. Similarly, a majority of people in the Godda and Sahebganj districts speak Angika. These languages have not been included in the list of regional languages, and Hindi could have been a common link. Residents of these districts would not be able to appear for the exams conducted for the Grade 3 and 4 posts now”.
Under the leadership of Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand government is intentionally making policies that would hurt the prospects of the Hindi speaking people. Moreover, his ministers are making discriminatory statements against the Hindi speaking people.
A few months ago, Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon made a controversial statement as he lamented how Biharis and Marwaris have filled the state at the expense of the tribals.
Addressing the Mahua Conference held at the Press Club where he was the Chief Guest, Oraon claimed that Ranchi’s land has gone into the hands of others in an apparent reference to the Biharis and Marwaris. Oraon then proceeded to whine about how Ranchi is filled with people from Bihar, with Marwaris setting up a livelihood in the state capital.
The ruling alliance relies heavily on tribal votes, therefore, in order to appease the community, the Jharkhand government is taking such decisions and its ministers are making such statements. However, it is very unlikely the decision taken by the Jharkhand government will pass the test of the courts.