In Jharkhand’s Parasnath, where tensions have often risen between Jains and local Adivasis over worshiping rights at the Sammed Shikharji (also known as Marang Buru by locals), the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now alleged that the Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led government was hounding local Adivasi BJP members following the sacrifice of a goat on July 19. A goat, they say, was sacrificed following Adivasi customs by the CM and his wife, soon after he was released on bail from jail, where he was lodged for months in an alleged money-laundering case.
State president of BJP and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has now written to Mr. Hemant Soren for a just probe in the case, saying that tensions between the Jains and Adivasis have always been present and that peace should prevail. In a letter to the CM on January 31, Mr. Marandi said innocent Adivasi people were allegedly being framed for the animal sacrifice that was arranged and conducted by those close to the CM.
Mr. Marandi said he had received this complaint from members of the Marang Buru Sanwta Susar Baisi, a local Adivasi association, who had detailed allegations of a “political conspiracy”.
“The CM’s wife had publicly said that they would perform rituals as per the Adivasi tradition at the Marang Buru after he got out of jail. So, in July, both of them made a visit and performed the rituals, including allegedly the sacrifice of a goat. There are photos of it too,” Sikander Hembrom, a member of the association and with the BJP in the State, told The Hindu.
Given the shared worship over the hills, Adivasis have not sacrificed any animal for many years, “in the interest of keeping the peace”, Mr. Hembrom said. But a First Information Report was registered against unknown persons over the alleged sacrifice at the Madhuban police station.
“Later, we found out that the police were trying to make me and four other Adivasi leaders of the BJP accused in the case,” Mr. Hembrom said, adding that the CM should “own up” to having performed traditional Adivasi rituals at Marang Buru.
In the letter to the CM, Mr. Marandi said there were allegations of the local police trying to allegedly shield the people involved in the sacrifice because of their links to the CM. He said that the case should be investigated without any bias, adding that there was a history of tensions in the region that should be resolved by the administration as soon as possible.
