Journey Through Jharkhand, Dispatch 4: How Life Goes On In The Santhal Parganas

That is the gorgeous "Flame of the Forest," the official flower of Jharkhand. It is certainly fitting that a flower symbolising the resilience and beauty of this remarkable region was chosen. Today's story will tell you why.

Masaliya, Dumka District

Sagen Marandi is a diligent and thoughtful guy. He measures his words carefully and speaks with intention. Employed as a security guard at a commercial establishment in Dumka town, he is a 26-year-old college graduate, married, and a father.

When I enquired about the possibility of relocating to Kolkata or Delhi for better job opportunities, he responded in the negative. He expressed that most young people from this region of the Santhal Parganas prefer to remain close to their zameen (land) and jungle.

Dumka, Pakur, and Sahibganj form the core of the Santhal Parganas, alongside the districts of Godda, Deogarh, and Jamtara.

In my travels across India over the past few months, I have encountered only a few regions, aside from certain areas in Eastern Bihar, that exhibit the level of desperation found here. Basic amenities remain insufficient, contradicting my earlier assumption that such fundamental issues had been largely resolved across India. It was heartbreaking to discover that these challenges persist in eastern Jharkhand.

In Sagen's village, there is a lack of reliable power supply, with electricity available for only six to eight hours per day. The community suffers from inadequate piped water supply, and there are no hospitals nearby. Moreover, teachers do not attend school regularly.

Sagen's father receives an annual sum of Rs 6,000 from the PM Krishi Samman Nidhi, while his mother has recently begun receiving Rs 1,000 per month from the Maiyya Samman scheme initiated by Hemant Soren.

Our conversation then shifted to politics. Sagen expressed his belief that Hemant Soren is deeply corrupt, stating that while he has made numerous promises, he has failed to deliver on them.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency by a small margin. Shibu Soren's bahu (daughter in law) Sita Soren, fighting on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, lost by around 22,000 votes to JMM's seven-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Nalin Soren.

In the 2019 assembly election, Dumka was among the constituencies from which Hemant Soren contested and won, alongside Barahit. He relinquished the former, which was won later by his brother, Basant Soren. When Champai Soren ascended to the chief ministership, Basant assumed the lucrative Ministry of Roads, Buildings, and Construction.

This region serves as a bastion for the JMM, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managing to secure only five of the 18 assembly seats in the area during the 2019 election. The influx of Bangladeshi immigrants rendered the CAA-NRC (Citizenship Amendment Act-National Registry of Citizens) a significant issue during the election. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the current BJP prabhari for Jharkhand, referred to NRC in his recent speech.

Sagen believes that the JMM narrowly prevailed due to the consolidation of assembly constituencies during the Lok Sabha election. I did a fact-check on that, and he is spot on. If we do an assembly-wise breakup of the 2024 Parliamentary election results, we can find that the BJP has won nine out of the 18 seats, including Dumka. Sagen opines that the BJP is likely to perform well in the upcoming assembly election in Dumka.

When I enquired whether his Marandi identity influences his support for Babulal Marandi as chief minister, he remained noncommittal, stating that Babulal had struggled to garner support even when he led his own party (the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, or JVM). The local populace has a strong admiration for Modi and possesses high expectations of him, which Sagen believes could benefit Babulal Marandi.

Sagen identifies with the Sarna faith and is exasperated that they continue to be classified under Hindus. When I asked whether Sarnas visit temples, he replied in the negative. However, when I enquired about visiting a jaher (sacred grove), he smiled warmly and said, "Zaroor (indeed)," graciously offering to accompany me.

He noted that Christian missionaries are active in the area, engaging with villagers; yet he asserted that the most pressing threat to his village comes from Bangladeshi immigrants. He believes the BJP is justified in highlighting this issue and expressed his willingness to vote for the party based solely on this concern.

Sagen stated that in nearby Pakur and Sahibganj districts, the population of Bangladeshis has surged dramatically. They often marry Sarna women and manipulate their families to obtain land rights, encroaching upon job opportunities that traditionally belong to local residents. This has fostered a palpable anxiety regarding identity and survival within the community — an unfortunate socio-economic double whammy.

He further noted the influx of individuals from other states, particularly Bihar and West Bengal, who secure jobs that should ideally go to local vanvasis (forest dwellers). This insider-outsider sentiment is strong among the vanvasis, resulting in a pervasive sense of being besieged.

Sagen lamented that the tribal community enjoys only a marginal advantage in reservation policies — 28 per cent for tribals compared to 27 per cent for Other Backward Classes, or OBCs (applicable in select districts). He expressed frustration over the absence of reservations for certain lower-level government positions.

He praised the previous Raghubar Das administration for its integrity but criticised its attempts to "transfer tribal land to outsiders." The villagers remain apprehensive about the potential loss of their land, fearing it may be taken from them in various ways.

As readers would have gleaned from above, Sagen is very wise. He articulates the socio-economic complexities in a balanced way. Had he won the ovarian lottery, he might have had a successful career. Oftentimes, we forget how it is all about dumb luck.

The stirring lines of Piyush Mishra from Gangs of Wasseypur (a town not far from Dumka) played in a loop as we drove on.

एक  बगल  में  चाँद  होगा , एक  बगल  में  रोटियां

एक  बगल  में  नींद  होगी , एक  बगल  में  लोरियां

हम  चाँद  पे , रोटी  की  चादर , डाल  कर  सो  जायेंगे

और  नींद  से  कह  देंगे  लोरी  कल  सुनाने  आयेंगे

Earlier dispatches in this 'Journey Through Jharkhand' series:

1: A Primer On History, Politics, And People

3: Urban Jharkhand Yearns For Progress