Ray of Hope for Northeast and Tribal Population with Purno Sangma’s Expected Presidential Win

Ray of Hope for Northeast and Tribal Population with Purno Sangma’s Expected Presidential Win Dr.Athiqul H.Laskar With the presidential election for the post of India’s 13th president getting nearer, there has been a renewed interest for tribal groups and northeast regions of the country. The obvious reason for that is the nomination of Purno Sangma for this year’s presidential contest the result of which is set to be announced on July 22. Belonging to the tribal community, his candidature has fuelled a lot of expectations and the trade is abuzz with conjectures that India is going to get its first tribal president in the form of Sangma. He, on his part, has already ascribed his nomination to be a triumph of tribal unity. What is remarkable is that Sangma has been getting a lot of support and approval from different political parties and leaders. For instance, Salkam Murmu, former Mayurbanjh MP and Jharkhand Disom Party member, has appealed to the political parties to extend their support to Sangma so that he is able to don the mantle of India’s first tribal president. According to him, most parties speak a lot about doing something productive for the uplift of the tribal population. Now, they have got an opportunity to do their bit by helping elect a person who can stand up for the cause of the tribal population and their development. Murmu himself is one such man who, along with his party members, has been pursuing the cause of the development of tribal sect in the northeast for many years now. Sangma also has the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in his support which is in favor of a tribal president winning the election this time around. Ramesh Hansda, the district committee president of East Singhbhum JMM, has clearly said that a resolution will be passed by his committee which will then be sent to the central committee of the party for the purpose of endorsing the selection of a tribal president this time around in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Though he has maintained that their support is not restricted only to Sangma but any tribal candidate, it is likely to benefit Purno significantly since he is the only tribal leader in the running this time around. The nomination of Sangma for the post of India’s 13th President has raked up the issue of the rights of the Scheduled Tribe community once again. This is evident from the comments made by Surya Singh Besra, the president of Jharkhand People’s Party and former MLA that the ST community which comprises of around nine to ten percent of the country’s total population ought to be represented in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He has clearly said that at a time when so much effort is being made to assimilate tribal and northeastern people into the mainstream, it is but likely to have a tribal candidate in the celebrated Rashtrapati Bhavan. The same thought has been echoed by C R Majhi, the president of All India Jharkhand Party (AIJP). He has stated that the hundred million tribal population of India has the constitutional power to seek the post of the President and therefore it is but natural for one of them to be elected so. Thus it can be seen that Sangma has a lot of support going for him which can help him ace the election and go on to become India’s first tribal president. He is also leaving no stone unturned to make sure victory is his. Campaigning has already started and Sangma recently joined a group of dancers belonging to the tribal community who were performing at the Constitution Club and happily played drums with them. It was a happy moment and along with sharing their enthusiasm, he also did his bit to promote his candidature. With Pranab Mukherjee as his rival candidate in the presidential election, competition is stiff and therefore such promotional activities are necessary to ensure victory in the elections. How Can Sangma’s Presidential Win Benefit the Northeast States and the Tribal Population: There is little doubt about the fact that the northeast region of our country is seriously lagging behind in practically all respects when compared to the rest of India. improved in spite of several promises and directives. The condition of the tribal population is worse with no means of development available for them with the help of which they can look forward to a better and more respectable life. In such a scenario, the news of a tribal leader being selected for presidential candidature has given a new ray of hope to people belonging to the northeast and the tribal population. P.A. Sangma is originally from Meghalaya and is a tribal of the ‘Garo’ variety. Naturally, his candidature has aroused a lot of interest amongst the tribal group. They feel that his win can work wonders for their future and help them be at par with the rest of the world. Such expectations are quite natural because he himself has attributed his nomination to the victory of the tribes and thus it is surmised that if he comes in power, he will work towards improving the overall condition of the northeastern states and living condition of the tribal population and make them a part of the mainstream. It is not that efforts have not been made earlier to better the position of the tribes in the northeast region and make the states more developed. But those have been sporadic which haven’t really made a significant impact. It is expected that with Sangma’s win, proper development will be facilitated which will bring the northeastern states on a common platform with the other popular states of India. The vast cultural and racial difference of the northeast people from the rest of the country can be said to be the most prominent reason for their alienation and lack of development. Of late, there have been some cases of suicide of northeast students whose main cause can be attributed to a discriminatory attitude meted out to them because of their different and alien cultural background. Case in point is the recent suicide of Dana Silva Sangma who had apparently taken her life because of the public humiliation suffered by her owing to cheating charges in examination. In fact, Mukul Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, had personally commented on this incident saying that he has come across many cases where northeast students had to face humiliation on account of their ethnicity and culture. (Feedback: athiqul16@yahoo.co.in www.conantinstitute.org.in) if Sangma becomes the new president, it can be expected that the situation will become better for northeast students along with the tribal population of that region. It is assumed that he will help breed familiarity with the culture and traditions of the northeast for the rest of India so that the tribal folk as well as the northeast people do not have to face discriminatory or resentful attitude from others. We have had many instances in the past when a political leader after getting elected has done admirable work for his hometown and his people. The same is expected of Sangma and it remains to be seen whether he lives up to the expectations built around him if he wins the election that is.