Only a few days are left for voting in the Jharkhand assembly elections. Meanwhile, the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators and demographic change has heated up in the state. From time to time, news of love jihad, land jihad, illegal infiltration, and forced conversion etc. keep coming from various places of Jharkhand. This time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised this issue seriously.
This area, associated with tribal history, has become the center point of the election battle, with districts like Sahibganj, Dumka, and Pakur the main focal points. Meanwhile Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is promising a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 for women, and higher minimum support price (MSP) to farmers.
On the other hand, the BJP’s campaign is about tribal identity (Adivasi Asmita). The BJP is loudly raising the issue of illegal immigration in the state, due to which uncontrolled settlements built illegally are changing the demography of the area. At the same time, JMM is rejecting the allegations of demographic change, and says that the BJP is creating fear.
Meanwhile, Organiser’s report tells a different story. A team of Organiser visited the so-called Muslim dominated areas of Santhal Pargana in Jharkhand. There, 35 Hindu families are struggling to preserve and maintain their traditions amidst many challenges. These Hindu families are surrounded by more than 11,000 Muslim families in that area.
How 35 Hindu families surrounded by 11,000 Muslim families live in Jharkhand's #Santhal Pargana?
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) November 8, 2024
-They stop the music five times a day during Chhat Puja.
-They pay 'tax' to Muslims as they reap produce in 'Muslim area'
-They don't put rangoli on the street.
-Their cows get… pic.twitter.com/41lgLpwMoU
However, when the Organiser team reached Santhal Pargana, Hindu families were celebrating Chhath Puja despite pressure from Muslim families in the area. In villages like Mansingha and Rajmahal, Hindu families have almost disappeared, while Mosques and madrasas have come up every few kilometres.
These are the areas about which the BJP has been constantly expressing concern. The isolated Hindu communities in this area face many challenges. The local Muslim majority does not even allow them to fish, thus, they have moved away from this profession.
Speaking to the Organiser, Dhani Chaudhary from the area said, “We have been paying tax for years, but things changed after 2014 when we felt that the central government has supported us. This change also brought challenges. Now we are not allowed to go to fishing areas.” Another villager, Ashok Chaudhary, talked about celebrating the Chhath festival under pressure.
Chaudhary said, “Even during weddings, controversies are created due to music. When azan is given or namaz is read, the baraat has to go silent. If this is not done, then the occasion is often spoiled by quarrels and fights with us.”
Another resident, Rajkumar Chowdhury, expressed apprehension about the rapid demographic change. “These newcomers are not the Muslims of our country. Their number is increasing month by month and soon they will spread to Bengal,” he said. Chhath Puja has become more than just a festival amid demographic change. It is a message of resilience.
All is not well for Hindus in the area
Hindus who spoke to journalist Aditi Tyagi, who went to Madhupur for ground reporting of the elections, also expressed similar sentiments. An elderly Hindu said that Hindus are not even allowed to get water from wells. When Aditi asked the elderly man what the main election issues of the people there were, the elderly man choked up and said – getting a well.
जोहार झारखंड
— aditi tyagi (@aditi_tyagi) November 6, 2024
My question
बाबा, क्या मुद्दा है यहां?
बुज़ुर्ग (भावुक होकर)
हम गए यहां पर कुआं मांगने, कहा हिंदु समाज है कुआं नहीं मिलेगा…
ये है मधुपुर का हाल pic.twitter.com/awzU3JgyDu
He said, “We went to local minister Hafizul Ansari four months ago to get a well constructed. He refused to help and said Hindus will not get anything.” He said that Muslims get all the facilities, but Hindus get nothing. Pointing to his field, he said, “If we had a well, we could grow vegetables.”
Durga idol immersion is also not allowed
Another local Hindu resident narrated his ordeal and said that an attempt was made to burn down the house of a Hindu man named Pradeep Modi. He said, “During Durga Puja, our idol immersion procession was stopped… During this Durga Puja, pressure was maintained from the police station to every other department.” The man also blamed Minister Hafizul Ansari for this situation.
He said that Minister Hafizul Ansari has been pressurising the local administration to not allow Hindus to celebrate festivals and organize events. He said, “Wherever Hindus become a minority, they do not allow us to play DJ during azaan or take out processions through Muslim-dominated areas.”
जोहार झारखंड
— aditi tyagi (@aditi_tyagi) November 7, 2024
"दुर्गा पूजा में हमारा मूर्ति विसर्जन का जुलूस रोक दिया था…इसी दुर्गा पूजा पर …थाना से लेकर हर डिपार्टमेंट में दबाव बनाकर रखा जाता है.."
मधुपुर में ये क्या कह रहे हैं! @nishikant_dubey जी pic.twitter.com/Cvsgksidgn
Stone pelting on Hindus in Gopinathpur
In another video, Hindu women shared their ordeal. They told how Muslims pelted stones on them in Gopinathpur in June this year. An elderly man standing nearby said, “They were more than 10,000 in number. The police could not control them. They had to fire in the air to disperse the crowd. It was only because of the police that we were all saved that day.”
The Hindu woman said, “They still attack us. They enter our homes.” The situation in places in Jharkhand where Hindus are now in minority has become dangerous. Demographic and cultural tensions are very high in these areas. Whether they will be able to vote freely in this election or not is also a big question.
