Villages In Bengal's Jangalmahal Tense After Adivasi Leader Arrested In ‘Majhi Sarkar’ Fraud Case

Bankura, West Bengal: Tension prevailed in several areas of West Bengal's Jangalmahal region after Gita Murmu, a leader of the Samajbadi Antarashtriya Majhi Sarkar (‘International Socialist Majhi Government’) organisation, was arrested by the state police on Friday (December 12) night in connection with the refusal of numerous Santal tribal people to participate in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter rolls.

Murmu, who hails from Odisha, was produced in the Purulia court on Saturday afternoon, when a judge ordered that she be remanded to police custody for two days.

Earlier on Friday, Murmu and six others had held discussions with the police at the Barikul police station in Bankura district. After leaving the police station by car and proceeding towards Odisha, she was intercepted and arrested by the Bandowan police at the border between the Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal.

On Saturday afternoon, Purulia's police superintendent Vaibhav Tiwari told The Wire that “cases of cheating and misleading people were registered against Gita Murmu at the Bandowan police station”.

He added that during the interrogation of two individuals who had earlier been arrested from Purulia in connection with the cases, Murmu's name emerged as a key accused.

Tiwari further stated that the police would take strict action against all others involved in the alleged fraudulent racket in which Santal people claimed they had purchased identity cards issued by the ‘Majhi Sarkar’ and had ceased to be Indian nationals.

After news of Murmu's arrest broke, tension gripped several areas of the Ranibandh block in Bankura district in Jangalmahal, including Muchikata, Bheduasol and Churku, where one tribal organisation reportedly indicated that it would ostracise those who had refused to comply with the SIR.

“To prevent any untoward incident, the administration has imposed section 144 [of the now-repealed Code of Criminal Procedure, equivalent to section 153 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita] in the Muchikata area. Police patrolling has also been intensified across the region,” stated Gangaram Murmu, a director of the Tribal Development Cultural Board of West Bengal.

Commenting on the situation, Bankura's police superintendent Soumyadip Bhattacharya said that the police are closely monitoring developments related to the Ranibandh incident and keeping a strict vigil on the overall situation in the area.

Under what circumstances was Murmu arrested by the police?

On December 1, more than a hundred Santal tribal men and women from villages including Bheduasol, Muchikata, Churku and Harangara under the Raotora gram panchayat in the Ranibandh block assembled at the block office and declared that they would not fill up their enumeration forms for the special intensive revision (SIR) of West Bengal's voter rolls. They said they are not citizens of India but of “Majhi Sarkar”.

According to them, as the ‘original inhabitants’ of the land, they do not require any documents issued by the Indian government, including Aadhaar, ration, PAN or voter cards. They claimed that they already possess identity cards issued by the Majhi Sarkar and that this card is sufficient to avail all necessary rights and facilities.

They further stated that they had submitted all their Aadhaar, voter and other official documents to the Majhi Sarkar organisation.

Following the incident, officials of a local tribal organisation, the Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal, and the Bankura district administration attempted to persuade them to fill out the forms for the SIR. But tribal people from the Muchikata and Bheduasol villages openly rejected these efforts.

Speaking to The Wire, the people of this area questioned the claims of development in the Jangalmahal region. They pointed to the absence of employment opportunities for tribal people and claimed that a large number of youths from the region are forced to migrate as labourers elsewhere. They also highlighted the poor condition of roads and drinking water facilities.

Additionally, they expressed resentment over the lack of official recognition for their indigenous religion. Stating that the BJP-led Union government continues to classify them as Hindus, which they described as humiliating, they also strongly criticised the Trinamool Congress-led state government for its ‘silence’ on these issues.

Amid this situation, by December 11, the last date for the submission for enumeration forms under the SIR, 62 individuals did not submit their forms, remaining firm in their claim that they do not consider themselves citizens of the country.

Police arrested three individuals on December 7 on charges of collecting Rs 4,000 each from the tribal people by issuing so-called Majhi Sarkar identity cards. The police clarified that the Majhi Sarkar is not an official entity but a social organisation of some tribal communities based in Chhattisgarh.

After the trio's arrest, Murmu arrived from Odisha on Tuesday and held a meeting with local residents. She remained under continuous police surveillance for three days at Muchikata village.

Santal people sit in protest at the Barikul police station grounds on December 12, 2025. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.

On Friday afternoon, more than a hundred people again gathered at the Barikul police station in Bankura district, demanding the immediate release of those who had been arrested. On the same day, Murmu, along with Luksha Hansda from Darjeeling and four other villagers, held discussions with police officials about the trio's release.

The protesters remained seated outside the police station until night without eating any food. While some of those present had filled up enumeration forms, they stated that they had come to show solidarity with the movement.

Lakshmi Murmu, a resident of Khejurya village, said that the agitation was against the continued deprivation and discrimination faced by tribals at the hands of both the Union and state governments. Similar views were expressed by Sunil Murmu of Muchikata village and Gopal Murmu of Bheduasol, who said: “Police offered us food, but we refused to eat it.”

Responding to allegations of fraud involving Majhi Sarkar identity cards, Gita Murmu and Hansda stated that if any individuals had collected money in exchange for such cards, they did it on their own behalf and not of the Majhi Sarkar organisation. They maintained that the organisation itself was not involved in any fraudulent activities. 

Hansda further said that he himself had not submitted his SIR enumeration form in Darjeeling and reiterated that the ongoing movement was a protest against the deprivation and discrimination faced by the Adivasi community. He added that the intensity of the movement would increase in the coming days.

After discussions with police at the Barikul police station, Gita Murmu said she was physically unwell and would return to Odisha for treatment and that she would return soon. She then left the area in her car. However, it was learnt that she was arrested shortly thereafter on the way to the Bandowan police station area of Purulia.

A visit to Muchikata village on Saturday revealed a tense and uneasy atmosphere across the area, with residents unwilling to speak about the developments.

Meanwhile, Gangaram Murmu said that the Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal had decided to socially ostracise those who did not heed the directions of community leaders and failed to fill up their enumeration forms. According to him, such persons would be expelled from the community.

Several local residents alleged that both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP were actively trying to enforce this decision on the ground. As a result, a fresh wave of fear and uncertainty is spreading across parts of Jangalmahal.

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