Will the Kudmi community play the role of a spoilsport in the forthcoming Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024? Though the Kudmi community comprises 15% population in the state, it is believed to be the most influential caste after the tribals, who comprise 26% of the population in Jharkhand. They are determined to make their presence felt this election as well as dictate their terms by cutting the votes of some of the most important candidates of both the warring coalitions, the NDA and the UPA. However, they are more likely to harm the BJP, the party that has made a poll- alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union Party.
JKLM Fields 73 Candidates
Though the Kudmi community comprises 15% population in the state, it is believed to be the most influential caste after the tribals, who comprise 26% of the population in Jharkhand. The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM) is contesting its first assembly election in the state, but it has fielded 73 candidates. The party led by 30-year-old Jairam Mahato, has already generated a buzz in the election dominated by INDIA vs NDA alliances.
Who Is ‘Tiger’ Jairam Mahto?
Both of the alliances see the JKLM as a threat, not because the newly-formed party would win many seats, but because it will eat into their vote bank. This is not the first time that ‘Tiger’ Jairam Mahto, as he is called, and his colleagues are contesting elections. Earlier in the Lok Sabha Election 2024, eight of these leaders contested as independent candidates because the party was not formed at that time.
Tiger Jairam Mahto contested from the Giridih Lok Sabha constituency received 3,47,322 votes, and finished third after the BJP and JMM candidates. Another candidate, Devendra Nath Mahato contested from Ranchi and came third with 1,32,647 votes.
Jariam Mahto Floats JBSKS
Jariam Mahto hit the headlines first in 2022 after he launched the movement for recognition of his language in the state. He floated the Jharkhandi Bhasha Sangharsh Khatian Samiti in 2023 to carry out the movement and take it to the masses.
The movement erupted after languages from outside Jharkhand like Bhojpuri, Magahi, and Angika were included in the list of regional languages for state-level examinations in 11 districts. Mahto led a massive protest demanding that only the local language should be promoted.
Why Are Kudmis Politically Important?
Political observers believe Kudmis are significantly important in as many as 30 Jharkhand Assembly seats and they are unhappy with the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government and the ruling JMM. The community has been demanding to be included in the ST category for a long time, arguing that basically they are tribals, they were treated as tribals by the British government, however, they were included in the OBC list later.
Kudimis Struggle For ST Status
AJSU MLA Lambodar Mahto raised this issue in the monsoon session of the Jharkhand assembly this year and asked the government to explain its position. The Kudmis were disappointed when Minister Baijnath Ram said that the government had no proposal to grant the status of ST to the Kudmi community.
Also Read: Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: Can BJP’s Alliance Strategy Dethrone JMM?
The community became angry after CM Hemant Soren said on the floor of the house that he was not yet able to get justice for the tribals, and, so, he could not make any commitment to others.
The Kudmi community argues that they were in the list of 13 Primitive Tribes in 1931. However, the community was left out in the gadget of 1950. Then Kudmi MP Hridaynath Kujur raised the issue on the floor of the Parliament when Jawahar Lal Nehru was the Prime Minister.
Who Are Kudmis?
The Kudmi is basically a farmers’ community, who lives mainly in Chhotanagpur areas of Jharkhand, though they are also found scattered in certain areas of West Bengal and Odisha. They are different from other tribes in the region as they follow Totemism, in which nature is worshipped in its unique way. According to Herbert Hope Ristley’s book ‘The Tribes and Castes in Bengal’, published in 1891, Kudmis resemble Dravids.
Hemant Soren, Sudesh Apprehensive Of Kudmis
Not only Hemant Soren, AJSU leader Sudesh Mahto too is apprehensive of the potential impact of Jairan Mahto. The AJSU leader is trying to establish himself as a Kudmi leader, and he is facing the problem from Tiger Mahto.
The ‘Tiger ‘ will roar or not and if he roars what impact he will create is yet to be seen, but one thing is clear, no one can ignore him. The Jharkhand Assembly Election 2024 may prove that the Kudmis have arrived and any political party can ignore them at their peril.
