Tribal outfit ASA to launch stir across five states to ‘free’ Parasnath Hills from Jains

India

pti-PTI

Ranchi,
Jan
11:
Tribal
outfit
Adivasi
Sengel
Abhiyan
(ASA)
on
Wednesday
announced
it
will
stage
protests
across
five
states
on
January
17
to
free
‘Marang
Buru’
(supreme
deity)
Parasnath
Hills
from
the
Jains.

The
outfit
said
protests
will
be
held
in
50
districts
of
Jharkhand,
West
Bengal,
Assam,
Odisha
and
Bihar
and
a
memorandum
will
be
submitted
to
President
Droupadi
Murmu
over
the
issue.

“Parasnath
Hills
is
Marang
Buru
or
God
for
us
tribals
but
usurped
by
Jains.
Protection
of
Marang
Buru
is
the
protection
of
the
tribal
society,”
ASA
president
Salkhan
Murmu,
also
a
former
BJP
MP,
said.

Various
other
tribal
bodies
have
also
claimed
that
Parasnath
Hills
is
‘Marang
Buru’.
He
said
tribals
will
again
stage
a
protest
at
Morabadi
Ground
in
Ranchi
on
February
11.
Various
tribal
outfits
have
announced
their
members
will
observe
a
day’s
fast
at
the
birthplace
of
tribal
icon
Birsa
Munda
in
Ulihatu
village
in
Khunti
district
on
January
30
in
solidarity
with
the
movement
to
“save”
Parasnath
Hills.

Tribals
assemble
in
Jharkhand’s
Giridih,
demand
freeing
of
Parasnath
hills
from
Jain
community

A
large
number
of
tribals
had
on
Tuesday
gathered
near
the
Parasnath
Hills
in
Giridih
district,
urging
the
state
government
and
the
Centre
to
free
their
holy
site
from
the
“clutches”
of
the
Jain
community.
They
had
warned
of
an
intense
agitation
if
their
demand
was
not
met.

Hundreds
of
tribals
from
Jharkhand,
West
Bengal
and
Odisha
demonstrated
in
the
hills,
carrying
traditional
weapons
and
beating
drums.

Jains
across
the
country
have
been
demanding
the
scrapping
of
a
2019
Jharkhand
government
notification
designating
Parasnath
Hills
as
a
tourist
place,
fearing
this
would
lead
to
an
influx
of
tourists
who
may
consume
non-vegetarian
food
and
liquor
at
their
holy
site.
Tribals
also
started
the
movement
to
“free”
the
hills
from
the
Jains.