Explained: Santhals, Indian Tribe In Spotlight After Droupadi Murmu's Presidential Candidature

The Santhal tribe has been in the headlines since NDA's nomination of Droupadi Murmu, one of its candidates for the presidency, for election to the highest constitutional position in India.

Who is Droupadi Murmu?

The ruling party, the NDA, announced Droupadi Murmu, an Odisha tribal leader, as its candidate for the upcoming presidential race on Tuesday. The choice was made during a meeting of the BJP's parliamentary board. Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has been nominated as the opposition's nominee, and he will compete against Droupadi Murmu.

Droupadi Murmu would be India's 1st tribal and second female president if she were to win the election.

TOI

The two-time BJP legislator from Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj, 64-year-old Murmu is a former minister for the state of Odisha. She was chosen to be the governor of Jharkhand, where she served in that position until 2021, becoming the state's first female governor.

Who are Santhals?

An indigenous group called Santhals commonly referred to as Manjhis is mostly found in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal. There are more than 5 million Santhals in India alone, according to Britannica.

Agriculture is their main line of work. However, many have reportedly started switching to other jobs, such as labourers and coal miners. One of the highest concentrations of the tribe can be seen in Murmu's hometown, Mayurbhanj. Apart from the Mayurbhanj area, Santhals may be found in Keonjhar and Balasore in Odisha.

Unsplash/Representational image

The name "Santhal" is made up of two words: "santha," which means quiet and tranquil, and "ala," which means man, according to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI), Bhubaneswar.

In India, the Santhals, after the Gonds and the Bhils, are the third-largest Scheduled Tribe group.

Life and history of Santhals

The Santhals once lived as nomads before settling on the Chota Nagpur plateau, said SCSTRTI, cited by The Hindu.

They moved to Bihar's Santhal Parganas during the end of the eighteenth century before arriving in Odisha.

Through the Santal Hul (revolution) of 1855¨C1866, the Santhals are also credited with confronting the East India Company's military power. The distressed Santhals organised their own army, made mostly of farmers, and fought their oppressors. Along with destroying the train connections and postal links, they also broke into, raided, and vandalised warehouses and storehouses. The Santhals were gunned down by the British once they were informed of the situation.

Santals.com

Despite its failure, the revolt is regarded as the origin of Bengal's Naxalite movement. The Santhal Rebellion is regarded as one of the most remarkable events in the history of the Indian subcontinent before independence.

Demographic details

The literacy rates in tribal groups outside of the Northeast are often lower. However, the Santhals have a higher literacy rate than other groups in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, according to SCSTRTI Director A. B. Ota, cited by The Hindu. This is due to a pro-school education consciousness that has existed among the Santhals since at least the 1960s.

As per the same report, many of the groups have reached the creamy layer of Indian society. Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand, is a Santhal, for instance. In addition to being a Santhal, the current Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAGI), Girsh Chandra Murmu, was the 1st Lt Governor of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.