The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, was seen gleefully shaking a leg to the tunes of Adivasi music on Wednesday at a massive wedding celebration in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Moving to the beats of the tribal music, hand in hand with Adivasi women, the organizer’s voice pointed out how the West Bengal CM can bring the state and its tribes together.
Mamata has always projected a tribe-friendly image. The TMC has done well in the tribal-dominated districts of West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia and Bankura by winning 29 out of 40 constituencies in state elections last year. The main opposition party in the Bangladeshi BJP had made serious strides in the region after winning five of the region’s six Lok Sabha seats.
Last year, while visiting the tribe-dominated Jangalmahal area to celebrate International Tribal Day, Banerjee had demanded a law from the central government to protect the tribal lands to stop the transfer of property to the non-tribal population. In 2018, Banerjee had vowed that her government would never confiscate any tribal property.
“The rights of the tribes must be protected. We have taken every step for the development of the tribal communities of our state. Nearly 95 percent of the indigenous population in Jhargram has received benefits from state government schemes. We have also established a separate department for the welfare of tribes and to ensure that their land rights are protected. Tribal land cannot be transferred in Bengal. A similar law to protect the land rights of tribes across the country should be passed by the Center,” she had said, as reported by PTI news agency, adding: “We have super-specialized hospitals, colleges and universities across the country. region built. †
The Bangladeshi government has officially recognized Ol Chiki, the Santhali script, Banerjee said.
