ST का दर्जा पाने के लिए कुर्मी जाति का आंदोलन: बंगाल सरकार को कुर्मी समाज की धमकी- एसटी दर्जा दो, फिर वोट लो

The violence that erupted after the declaration of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community in Manipur has not stopped. Meanwhile, the Kurmi community in West Bengal is agitating in support of their demand for ST status. Before the Panchayat elections to be held this year, the movement of Kurmi community in the areas adjacent to Jharkhand is becoming a headache for the Mamta Banerjee government.

In April, the Kurmi community blocked a railway track in South Dinajpur district demanding ST status.

People of Kurmi community got angry on the statement of Trinamool Congress MLA
Rail and road traffic came to a standstill for nearly five days in protests in Bankura, Purulia and West Medinipur districts, popularly known as Junglemahals of the state, over the demand for inclusion in ST. Now the Kurmi community has been enraged due to comparison of this movement with Khalistan by a Trinamool Congress MLA.

Although CM Mamta Banerjee has apologized for the remarks of the party MLA, but the displeasure of the Kurmi community has not subsided. The movement is also getting support from local leaders of political parties. Kurmi Samaj’s slogan is, “First ST status, then vote”.

Kurmi leader said – CM ignored the society

Kurmi leader Ajit Prasad Mahato says that the CM has neglected the society. If our demands are not met this time, we will boycott the panchayat elections. Mahto alleges, “The West Bengal Cultural Research Institute, a state government body, has not yet recognized the Kurmis as primitive tribes. The state government has not sent the report to the Center properly.

Due to the indifference of the government, the process of giving us ST status is not progressing. At the same time, Trinamool leader Ajit Maity claims that Kurmi leaders are wrongly blaming the state government. The Chief Minister does not have the right to give ST status to any community.

Kurmi leader Ajit Prasad Mahato says that the CM has neglected the society. If our demands are not met this time, we will boycott the panchayat elections.

Kurmis remained in ST till 1950, effective on 30 assembly seats
The leaders of the Kurmi community argue that the community was included in the list of STs in the year 1931 during the British period. This status continued till the year 1950. In the new list that came after that, he was removed from ST and put in the list of Other Backward Castes (OBC). The votes of this society are decisive in 30 assembly seats and four seats in the Lok Sabha in the state.

11 tribes in Bengal are also demanding ST status
The 11 tribes of the Gorkha community living in the Darjeeling hill region in the state have also been demanding ST status for a long time. These include Gurung, Mangar, Rai, Sunwar, Mukhiya, Jogi, Thami, Yakha, Bahun, Chhetri and Newar. Seven of the 18 tribes of the Gorkha community got ST status after independence, but 11 are still waiting for it.