Fact-Checking BJP: Are Bangladeshi Infiltrators Really Changing Jharkhand’s Demographics?

Ranchi: An umbrella body of several civil liberties groups in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha has issued a press release on the recent statements by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on their claim of change in the state’s change in demography because of the rise of Bangladeshi infiltrators and fall of tribal population. Mahasabha not only vehemently criticized BJP’s divide-and-rule politics but also mentioned the data, which denies all the claims by the saffron brigade as fake.

We are sharing the entire press statement for our readers.

Recently, BJP and its prominent leaders have continuously given statements that a large number of Bangladeshi infiltrators are settling in Jharkhand, the Adivasi population is decreasing, Adivasi girls are being married to infiltrators, their land is being grabbed, love jihad, land jihad etc are rampant in Adivasi areas of Jharkhand. It is being said that after the formation of the Jharkhand state, the population of Adivasis in Santhal Pargana has decreased by 16% and that of Muslims has increased by 13%. MP Nishikant Dubey even stated in the Parliament that in 2000, the Adivasi population in Santhal Pargana was 36% and now it is only 26% and Bangladeshi infiltration (Muslims) is responsible for this.

All these claims are beyond fact. Sadly, most of the media is also spreading these claims without checking the facts. The facts are as follows:

Is the population of Jharkhand’s Adivasis decreasing?

According to the census, the Adivasi population in Jharkhand in 1951 was 36%and in 1991 the same was 27.67% whereas the Muslim population in 1991 was 12.18%. According to the last census (2011), there were 26.21% Adivasis in the state and 14.53% Muslims. In Santhal Pargana, the proportion of Adivasis was 29.91% in 2001 to 28.11% in 2011. So BJP’s claim of 16% and 10% is false.

The sizeable decline in the proportion of Adivasis occurred between 1951 and 1991. The question is why? There are three main reasons – 1) During this period, a large number of non-Adivasis came to Jharkhand from the surrounding states, especially in the cities and areas of mining and industries. For example, the proportion of Adivasis in Ranchi declined from 53.2% in 1961 to 43.6% in 1991. At the same time, 10.73 lakh migrants from other states came to Jharkhand in 1961, 14.29 lakh migrants in 1971 and 16.28 lakh migrants in 1981, most of whom were from North Bihar and other nearby states. Although most of them went back after work, many also settled down.

Due to a lack of priority for locals in jobs, and non-implementation of Fifth Schedule provisions and tribal-specific laws, non-Adivasis from other states started settling here. 2) Due to displacement and lack of employment, Adivasis have been forced to migrate in lakhs for decades, which has a direct impact on their population growth rate.

According to the 2017 Economic Survey report of the Central Government, about 50 lakh people aged 15-59 years from the state had migrated between 2001 and 2011. 3) The population growth rate of Adivasis has been lower than other non-tribal groups for decades. Between 1951-91, the annual exponential growth rate of the Adivasis population was 1.42, while that of Jharkhand as a whole was 2.03. Due to inadequate nutrition, inadequate health system and economic constraints, the death rate of Adivasis is higher than in other communities.

Are Bangladeshi infiltrators entering Jharkhand on a large scale?

BJP leaders keep mentioning the number of Bangladeshi infiltrators in the country between 12 lakhs to 20 lakhs as per their whims. By naming infiltrators, they target the Muslims. But, the NDA government under the leadership of Narendra Modi has been continuously giving statements in the Parliament that they do not have any data regarding the number of Bangladeshi infiltrators. If we consider only the population of Muslims in Santhal Pargana, the increase of 2.15% as a proportion of the total population between 2001 and 2011 shows that the number of Muslims immigrating from Bangladesh would be much less than claimed (if at all).

Is love jihad happening in Jharkhand?

On one hand, BJP leaders are spreading communal hatred by using words like love jihad whereas the Modi government has replied in the Parliament that there is nothing called love jihad in the law and the central investigating agencies have not registered any such case. It is worth noting that a person of any religion or community has the full constitutional right to marry a person of any other religion or community. However, according to 2013 research, only 5.7% of inter-religious marriages have taken place in Jharkhand which includes all religious faiths.

Are Adivasi lands being looted?

For decades, non-Adivasis have been taking over the land of Adivasis by violating CNT and SPT acts. The urban areas of the Fifth Schedule area are clear proof of this. BJP is trying to divert the narrative from the truth by using communal words like land jihad.

What is BJP’s politics?

On one hand, BJP is talking about Bangladeshi infiltrators, while on the other hand, Modi and Raghuvar Das governments had forcibly acquired the land of Adivasis for the Adani Power Plant project. They changed the state’s energy policy to benefit Adani by keeping Jharkhand at a loss and sent electricity to Bangladesh by keeping Santhal Pargana in the dark.

Instead of talking about the root causes of the decline in Adivasi population ratio, BJP only wants to create religious communalism and polarization by presenting wrong figures. On one hand, the BJP is expressing concern for the Adivasis population, while on the other hand, it is not only silent on the Sarna Code, 27% reservation for backward classes and Khatian-based domicile policy passed by the Jharkhand government but is also trying its best to stop them. The Modi government is also running away from caste census which would make the current situation of communities and different castes clear.

Please note that the issues of Adivasis highlighted here were the basic issues of the Jharkhand Movement. If the BJP is not accepting these issues, then it is also questioning the movement. Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan demands the state government take immediate action against those spreading communalism by presenting wrong data and starting a public discussion on the above-mentioned core issues.