Guwahati: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday sought to galvanise Assam’s tea tribe and Adivasi communities with a fiery speech in Biswanath district, raising the slogan of “Abua Dishum, Abua Raj” and calling for greater tribal rights, land reforms and stronger political representation ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
Soren, who also heads the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, addressed a large public rally at Mejikajan Tea Estate organised jointly by his party and the Jai Bharat Party. The gathering drew thousands of tea garden workers and members of indigenous communities from across the region, turning the tea estate grounds into a sea of banners and slogans.
Arriving in Guwahati by flight in the afternoon, Soren travelled by helicopter to a helipad near Mulkata Tea Estate before reaching the rally venue. His visit forms part of a two-day tour to Assam that signals the JMM’s attempt to expand its influence beyond Jharkhand and tap into tribal-dominated constituencies in the Northeast.
Taking the stage alongside JBP president Teharu Gour, JMM MP Vijay Hansda, Jharkhand minister Chamra Linda, and leaders of the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam, Soren was greeted with chants of “Johar Adivasi” and the rallying cry “Abua Dishum, Abua Raj”, which in Santhali translates to “Our Land, Our Rule”.
In a charged 20-minute speech, Soren spoke about the hardships faced by tea garden workers and Adivasi communities in Assam, drawing comparisons with the struggles that shaped Jharkhand’s own political movement.
Addressing the crowd, he said the labour of tea garden workers sustains vast plantations, yet many families continue to struggle with low wages, limited access to education and inadequate healthcare.
“For decades, you have worked under the sun while your rights remain unfulfilled,” Soren said, accusing successive governments of ignoring the concerns of tea tribes and failing to bring meaningful change.
He also criticised the Assam government for not granting full Scheduled Tribe status to tea tribe communities, a demand that has been raised for years by several organisations.
“If those in power continue to ignore these voices, remember that the Adivasis of Jharkhand stand with their brothers and sisters in Assam,” Soren said, warning that tribal solidarity would not allow the issue to be sidelined.
Central to his speech was the call for “Abua Raj”, which he described as a vision of self-governance where indigenous communities have a decisive say in their own future.
“In Jharkhand, we fought for our rights through democratic struggle. Now the people here must unite and claim their rightful place in governance,” he told the cheering crowd.
The rally began earlier in the afternoon with traditional Bihu performances and Adivasi folk songs, reflecting the cultural diversity of the gathering. Soren later paid tribute to late JBP leader Pradeep Nag and interacted with tea garden women workers, who presented him with handwoven scarves as a symbol of solidarity.
While Soren did not formally outline his party’s electoral strategy in Assam, JBP president Teharu Gour used the platform to announce plans for an alliance between the Jai Bharat Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
According to Gour, the alliance intends to contest around 40 of Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies. He claimed the partnership could emerge as a decisive political force in the state.
“If JMM supports us fully, we are confident of winning these seats,” Gour said, adding that the alliance could play a crucial role in government formation after the elections.
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Gour also criticised the state government over several issues, particularly the recurring flood crisis in Assam. He alleged that inadequate measures have been taken to address one of the state’s most pressing challenges.
“Floods continue to affect the lives of people every year. The government has not taken sufficient steps to resolve the problem,” he said.
He also argued that smaller communities in the state have not received adequate attention in the political process and suggested that there is a growing demand for change among voters.
From Biswanath, Soren later travelled by helicopter to a programme near Tezpur in Sonitpur district, where he was scheduled to attend an iftar gathering in the evening, concluding the first leg of his Assam tour.
