‘Infiltration’ is a major issue prevalent in Jharkhand and has the potential to influence Jharkhand’s Assembly election and ‘Anti- infiltration’ has been the prime subject upon which Bharatiya Janata Party is spearheading its competition in the state’s assembly election. Be it Himanta Biswa Sarma, Home Minister Amit Shah, or Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all have expressed their concerns regarding the same. On the 11th of November, Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing the crowd at an election rally in Jharkhand announced that, if the BJP is voted to power, it will enact a law to prevent land transfers to infiltrators who marry tribal women.
Addressing an election rally in Seraikela, Minister Shah said, “The tribal population is declining in Jharkhand. Infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying our daughters. We will bring legislation to prevent the transfer of land to infiltrators if they marry tribal women. We will also form a committee to identify infiltrators to drive them out and reclaim land grabbed by them.”
Home Minister Shah emphasized that the BJP would work to reclaim land acquired by such means and return it to the original tribal families, highlighting concerns over the declining tribal population and alleged land encroachment by infiltrators marrying tribal women. Additionally, he pledged to form a committee to identify and expel infiltrators, securing land for local communities.
He also took shots at the JMM Government and Hemant Soren, accusing it of crumbling down the rights of the tribal communities in Jharkhand and humiliating Champai Soren, a former JMM leader who joined the BJP after raising concerns over infiltration and highlighted corruption within the JMM-led coalition government. Shah asserted that the BJP would hold corrupt leaders accountable if they came to power. Pertinently, JMM leader and state CM Hemant Soren was jailed in a corruption case. He is currently out on bail.
Slamming JMM, the Home Minister added, “Today the whole of Jharkhand and especially the tribal areas are troubled by infiltration. When our Champai Soren raised the issue of infiltration, Hemant Babu said, you should leave the post of Chief Minister.”
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days back on Wednesday highlighted that the fight in Jharkhand is simply not on electoral grounds but to protect ‘Roti, Beti, Mati’. He charged JMM and Congress with downplaying the security of Jharkhand as well as the country. He even emphasized to the tribal population of Jharkhand that the infiltrators are hell bent in snatching their beti as well as roti. The remark was in reference to Love Jihad and Land Jihad which has become a scourge in the tribal-dominated state.
Back then, PM Modi had said, “Our sole slogan is ‘Roti, Beti, and Mati,’ and with this commitment, we will bring change to Jharkhand. Once a BJP government is established following the Assembly elections, we will ensure the protection of Roti, beti, and mati”.
During a rally in September this year, PM Modi had stated, “There are three enemies of Jharkhand. The sooner the people of the state realise this and deal with them, the faster the state will grow. These three are JMM, RJD, and Congress.”
Back then, the Prime Minister had warned the state about the alarming threat of Bangladesh and Rohingya infiltrators.
He added, “Infiltrators entering the state is a big issue… The state high court recently instituted an inquiry by an independent panel into such incidents. But the JMM government here is not ready to accept that illegal immigration is taking place in Jharkhand. In Santhal Pargana and Kolhan, infiltration by Bangladeshis and Rohingyas is a big threat. The identity and demography of this region is changing very fast.”
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in cases in Jharkhand where Islamists are luring tribal women into entering relationships or marriages with them. Reports indicate that Islamist organizations are exploiting these personal relationships as a strategy for land acquisition.
By marrying tribal women, Muslim men are accused of circumventing legal restrictions imposed by the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy (SPT) Act, which prohibit the sale and purchase of tribal land to non-tribals. Such marriages create a loophole, allowing these organizations to access tribal land without violating the law directly.
This concerning trend jeopardizes more than just the land rights of tribal communities; it strikes at the heart of their cultural identity and heritage. As tribal lands continue to be encroached upon, the very essence of their traditions, social structures, and way of life faces an existential threat, underscoring the urgent need to safeguard these communities’ rights and cultural legacy. Jharkhand Mukti Morch, who claims to be a flagbearer of tribal rights in Jharkhand has maintained a complete silence upon this.
