Murmu on mission to protect saarna faith

Baripada, Jul 16 (UNI) Former BJP Parliament member Salkhan Murmu has criticised the Jharkhand government for not conceding to the demand of Santhali being treated as a state language.

In Santhal's own homeland - Jharkhand, the Santhali was not given the status of the state language, he said and wondered how Santhal leaders like Shibu Soren had been championing the cause of Urdu as state language for Jharkhand instead of fighting for his own mother tongue - Santhali.

Mr Murmu was now on a mission forgetting his political past and making whirlwind tours in the Santhal dominated areas of the country to create awareness among the tribe to scrupulously protect the Saarna faith.

The cudgels of this mission has been vested on the outfit called ''Akhil Bharatiya Saarna Dharma Samiti'', of which Mr Murmu was now the national President.

The two-time Parliament member said the Santhal adibasis would loose their identity if they allow their own ''Saarna religion'' to vanish into the oblivion.

Addressing a Santhals' Saarna religious congregation here, organised by the Orissa state unit of the outfit, Mr Murmu asked the Adibasis to preserve and protect the ''Saarna'' religion so that their identity would never lost.

He also pleaded for the protection of the ''Jahiras'' or the ''Jahersthan'' located under a cluster of ''Saal'' trees wherethe Saarna faiths' Gods and Goddesses are worshipped.

Former Kuliana MLA, Niranjan Hembrom who is a close political associate of Murmu, was nominated as the president of the Orissa state unit of the outfit.

UNI XC DP SJC AB 1827