Arjun Munda

Some Lesser Known Facts About Arjun Munda

• Arjun Munda is an Indian social activist and politician, who is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has gained prominence for serving as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister thrice. He again came into the limelight following the Union government’s decision to appoint him as Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

• Arjun was born into a middle-class family.

• Munda’s mother had to work as a labourer to cater to the needs of the family after the death of his father.

• During his graduation at Ranchi University, he joined the All Jharkhand Students Union and became a member. He became associated with the movement demanding the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar while being part of the student union.

• As the Minister of Tribal Affairs in Jharkhand, he is recognized for formulating policies that led to enhancing the quality of life for the secluded tribal community.

• In 2000, after Bihar was divided, leading to the formation of Jharkhand, Munda played a crucial role in the establishment of the Jharkhand Cricket Association.

• He became the Chief Minister of Jharkhand for the first time by replacing Babulal Marandi. Reportedly, Babulal quit his post as the CM following the demand of the other coalition parties with which the BJP had formed its government in the state.

  

• Soon after taking control of the office of the CM, Munda worked towards stabilizing the situation in the state that had become sensitive due to the passage of the Jharkhand Domicile Act. As per the legislation, individuals residing in Jharkhand without their ancestors’ names recorded in the 1932 land survey were regarded as non-natives of the state.

• Arjun Munda’s vehicle caught fire in 2008 while he was on his way home after attending a political rally in Jharkhand.

• Arjun Munda won the 2009 general assembly elections by receiving 1,19,663 votes more than his nearest rival Suman Mahato, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate.

  

• Arjun received 17,000 more votes than his closest Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) rival, Dasrath Gagrai, in the bye-elections that were conducted in Jharkhand in the Kharasawan (ST) assembly constituency in 2011.

  

• He was taken to the Tata Hospital in the same year after his health deteriorated.

• In 2012, Arjun, along with his sons Abhinav and Avinash, visited the United States of America. According to sources, Arjun had escorted his sons to the US for the treatment of a rare blood disease with which his sons were diagnosed. Reportedly, the Jharkhand government issued a grant worth Rs. 70 lakh to cover the expenses incurred in the US for travelling, lodging, and treatment.

• He and Meera, his wife, were taken to a hospital in Jharkhand after their chopper crashed due to technical failure. Reportedly, both, Meera and Arjun, received minor injuries.

• Arjun has enacted many schemes in his three tenures as the Chief Minister. He played a crucial role in appointing Jharkhand’s first Lokayukta.

• He also led the government in organizing the first gram panchayat elections in the state. He played a key role in giving authority to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), resulting in enhanced local self-governance. He, in an interview, talked about it and said,
  

  Under the Governor’s Rule, there was no accountability of the government at any level. The Assembly was kept under suspended animation, there was no local body or panchayat, where the people could go and complain about their problems and get them resolved. There was a complete vacuum and lack of accountable government authorities at all the levels in the state.”

• To ensure and improve transparency in issuing and allocating tenders, Arjun Munda, as the CM, implemented an e-tender system. It also ensured that no partiality took place while awarding the tenders.

• Under his leadership, the Jharkhand government established numerous zones in different parts of the state for the electricity-making companies to start their operation. His intent behind it was not only to tackle the electricity shortage but also to become an electricity-surplus state.

• He won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by obtaining 3,82,638 votes, defeating his closest competitor Kali Charan Munda from the Indian National Congress (INC).

  

• Arjun likes the sport of archery. He succeeded Vijay Kumar Malhotra as the President of the Archery Association of India (AAI) in May 2019.

  

• In 2021, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, led by Arjun Munda, was honoured with the SKOCH Challenger Award during the Virtual SKOCH Summit.

• In an interview, Arjun said that he likes to remain in shape by exercising regularly by indulging in yoga and jogging. He also said that he likes to remain fit and healthy because today’s voters like to vote for those politicians who are fit.

• He has a passion for golf and prefers to play on the Golmuri golf course in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

• Arjun Munda is the writer of Sadan Mein Samvaad, a book.

  

• He is proficient in playing the flute and other tribal musical instruments.

• Arjun is multi lingual. He can speak many languages fluently, such as English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Jharkhandi, Santhali, Mundari, Ho, and Oraon.

• Arjun, other than politics, participates in social activism and advocates for the rights of tribal communities not only in Jharkhand but also in neighbouring states such as Bihar, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

• Arjun Munda loves travelling, and he has visited many nations, such as France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

• He joined the G20 working group as a member in 2023.