Dr Arun Kumar Oraon, a retired IPS officer and founder of Kartik Oraon Ratri Paathshala, paid tribute to tribal leader Baba Kartik Oraon on his 102nd birth anniversary on October 29, 2026. He called for greater efforts to promote education, preserve tribal identity and empower rural communities.
Born on October 29, 1924, in Karounda LitatoIi village in present-day Gumla district of Jharkhand, Baba Kartik Oraon rose from a modest tribal background to gain recognition in engineering. He pursued advanced studies in the United Kingdom before returning to India. He later joined the Heavy Engineering Corporation in Ranchi.
Baba Kartik Oraon entered politics and represented Lohardaga in the Lok Sabha in 1967, 1971 and 1980. He championed tribal welfare, education, cultural identity and constitutional safeguards. He died on December 8, 1981, aged 57.
Dr Arun Kumar Oraon said Baba Kartik Oraon’s legacy must go beyond statues and commemorative events. He stressed the need to turn the leader’s ideals into practical action, particularly through education.
Drawing on his experience in remote areas of Jharkhand, Dr Oraon established the Kartik Oraon Ratri Paathshala initiative. The programme engages college students to provide free academic support to rural children.
According to Dr Oraon, the initiative now covers 141 villages across South Chotanagpur and supports around 5,000 children. It combines academic assistance with lessons in discipline, self-confidence, hygiene and cultural awareness.
The Kartik Oraon Academy of Excellence, inaugurated at Uchri in Mandar, Ranchi district, on April 6, 2026, aims to strengthen this mission.
Dr Oraon urged educated youth, professionals and community organisations to support disadvantaged children. He said education and service remain vital to building an empowered, self-reliant and culturally confident tribal society.
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