The Masterstroke

The strategy deployed by Hemant Soren to counter the recent high-voltage political drama and crisis in Jharkhand has stumped the BJP

- Md Asghar Khan

The events of January 31 were a long time in the making. What happened that day is a black chapter in the democratic history of this country. The plan for my arrest was laid well in advance.

Today, efforts are afoot to get the Adivasis to give up their Adivasi identity. They do not like seeing tribals, Dalits, backward classes, and minorities in the top positions of the country.

I have absolutely no regrets that I’ve been taken into custody by the ED. Enjoying power has never been our goal. But I want to make it clear that the JMM came into being to uphold the honour, respect, and self-respect of Jharkhand. Any attempt, political or legal, to trifle with that will get a befitting reply.

MANY such clips from former chief minister Hemant Soren’s speech during the trust vote in the Jharkhand Assembly on February 5 have gone viral.

The 24-minute speech targets the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in every sentence, and occasionally, the central agencies and the state governor as well.

The buzz in the political circles is that if there is one state where the INDIA bloc (locally consisting of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal) looks indubitably strong, it is Jharkhand. Soren is the alliance leader. In the wake of the ED episode, he has emerged as a tribal leader of national stature. This will not be the first time that political pundits have noted a growth in Soren’s prominence. His standing among the tribals increased at a pan-India level all through the first three years of his tenure, with major moves like the introduction of the Sarna Religious Code, the 1932-based domicile bill, and the bill to increase OBC reservation.