Meet the Powerful Woman of Jharkhand Captivating Late-Night Audiences in Naxalite-Influenced Villages

Ranchi- Her rallies are truly a spectacle to behold. In the darkest corners of naxalite-infested regions, where women often hesitate to step outside after sunset, you can find them standing by the roadside, waving enthusiastically as Kalpana Soren's procession passes by.

With an infectious warmth and an ability to forge immediate connections, Kalpana engages with them on a personal level. As she speaks passionately about the Jharkhand government's initiatives aimed at restoring dignity and empowering women, the crowd responds with applause and cheers. Meet Kalpana Soren, the emerging powerhouse and influential campaigner in Jharkhand, making waves as the assembly elections approach.

To understand how her party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's claims will hold up, The Mooknayak’s Editor-in-Chief Meena Kotwal spoke with the Gandey MLA Kalpana Soren Murmu, who is also the wife of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

From childhood memories to her marriage, Kalpana Soren shares how taking charge of the party during its challenging times brought her closer to the people of Jharkhand :

You have not always had a political inclination, but now you are campaigning for the party. People want to know who Kalpana is.

My father was an army officer, and his job required him to be posted in various parts of the country, which allowed us to travel extensively. I learned a lot from those experiences. I completed my engineering studies in Odisha, got married, and later pursued an MBA. Now, I am a mother of two children, and this is who you see before you as Kalpana Soren.

The situation in Jharkhand arose where your presence was needed in the party. Did you ever think you would have to lead the entire party?

I would like to say that as women, we are always prepared for every situation, whether it's managing household responsibilities or taking charge of a party. The family size is smaller at home, while the number of people in a party is larger. It felt good to step into this role because I never imagined I would have to do so in such circumstances. Initially, I thought our esteemed party officials, mentors, and Hemant Soren would handle everything. However, given the situation that arose, I tried to manage the party like a family. It felt like it was time to take on another significant responsibility.

Do you think the issues would have been avoided if CM Hemant Soren had compromised during the money laundering case?

I don't view it that way! I see that our respected leaders and revolutionary companions have devoted their youth and now their elder years to Jharkhand. They have made numerous sacrifices, leaving their families to consider Jharkhand as their own. They made these sacrifices for the people and their issues. In a place like Jharkhand, where the movement for rights has its roots, Hemant Soren has fulfilled his responsibilities, learning from his predecessors and prioritizing our key issues.

You are currently actively campaigning. Are you experiencing the same love and support that Hemant Soren received?

I would like to ask you this question! Because you all were covering the public meetings. You interact with people on the ground, so I believe you know the answer better.

There seems to be a higher presence of women in your rallies compared to men in Jharkhand. Do women have higher expectations from you?

For the first time, our Chief Minister has brought smiles to the faces of our half of the population in Jharkhand. These smiles symbolize respect. As homemakers, we work tirelessly from morning till night, both physically and mentally. We hope for small gestures of affection and appreciation from our families and society. That's all we desire. Our Jharkhand government has provided this to the women of our state.

This is commendable, and I say this with pride because, as a woman, if you toil all day at home and, in the end, someone hugs you, pats your back, or speaks sweetly to you, it eases all your fatigue. I believe this is a significant sentiment. This is the first time that through the "Maiya Samman Yojana," our mothers are going to shower blessings on us.

What is the Maiya Samman Yojana, and how can women benefit from it?

Under the Jharkhand Chief Minister Maiya Samman Yojana (JMMSY), the state government provides ₹1,000 per month to girls aged 18 and women up to 50 years. This is an effort to empower women. The joy I have seen on the faces of these women, the trust I have witnessed in them, gives me immense happiness and strength. This scheme is particularly important for women for whom earning ₹100 or ₹500 is very challenging. In a way, this is a dignified amount for homemakers.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan has stated that if their party forms the government, they will provide ₹2,100 under the same scheme. How do you view this challenge?

First, look at that thought process and sentiment. From 2014 to 2019, the BJP was in power. They often claim they completed five years. My question is, if you (the BJP) were in power for five years, why didn't you introduce this scheme then?

You had the central and state government at that time. Why didn't you think about our half of the population back then? If someone can think about Jharkhand, it's the son of Jharkhand. Tomorrow, if we say we will provide ₹2,500, they will say they will provide ₹5,000. While we have already initiated this scheme, they are still saying, "We will give."

Therefore, our primary question to them will always be, why didn't you think about the female population when you were in power?

Our country is often regarded as a patriarchal society, dominated by men. As a woman when you step onto the ground, what do you feel?

Regardless of your religion or caste, believing in yourself is the most important thing. I would like to tell girls that why should only men raise our issues? We can also raise them passionately. I urge all women in Jharkhand and across India to speak about their problems themselves. They do not need someone else's support.

Can you share an accomplishment from your political career that you fulfilled and something you still wish to achieve?

As a legislator, I recently laid the foundation for a women’s college in Gandey. I promised the people during my election nomination that I would definitely provide them with a women’s college. That was a dream of mine.

As for our Jharkhand government, we have the Savitribai Phule Kishori Samriddhi Yojana, which provides ₹40,000 to girls from 8th to 12th grade to ensure their education does not stop. Secondly, we have the CM School of Excellence, which aims to elevate the educational standards of our government schools to that of private schools. You can see for yourself.

Additionally, we send our children for foreign education without them having to pay a single rupee from their pockets. The Jharkhand government bears all their expenses.

Can you share any experiences you were unaware of but learned after going to the ground?

There are many issues. During public meetings and rallies, we meet many people and learn about various challenges. In several villages, there are water shortages, and there is a lack of schools in remote areas. Additionally, we have realized that the schemes we are implementing are still very much needed by the people. They are very happy with the current schemes, but we have a lot more work to do, especially in education, which is the most important.

The BJP is holding a "Parivartan Rally." Do you see it as a challenge?

My challenge is to ask how many schools the BJP has closed in our Jharkhand, and how many can we open? How many pensions has the BJP halted, and how many can we provide? That is our challenge. The resources of Jharkhand belong to the people of Jharkhand. You take coal and mineral wealth from here, yet do not give us our rightful share of money. Who will strengthen this fight? Who will raise the issues of the people here? Be it reservation for backward classes or the Sarna religion code, we pass these in the assembly, yet our files get stuck later. It is clear what is on your mind and what you want to hide. We are presenting our agenda boldly to the people.

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