Rahul Gandhi promises proportionate participation to Adivasis in progress

Nandurbar (Maharashtra) March 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, travelling from India”s east to west as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, today promised due and proportionate representation and participation to the Adivasis based on the proportion of their population in the country. “Question is of share and participation”, he remarked while asserting that the Adivasis have not been given their proportionate share according to their 8 percent population of the country.

Gandhi announced five exclusive guarantees about ‘Adivasi Nyay’ including legal guarantee for MSP for various types of forest produce like he earlier announced legal guarantee for MSP on crops.

Addressing the Adivasi Nyay Sammellan on the fifty-ninth day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here today, Gandhi said, even after decades of independence the Adivasis were not getting their rightful due.

Alleging that the BJP was against granting them the rights over their forests, land and water, he pointed out, the party (the BJP) addresses them as the ‘Vanvasis’, which means the inhabitants of forests, without any legal rights. He said, once the BJP sells off all the forests to its friends like Adani, they would be on roads made to beg or work like labourers.

He said, Congress calls them ‘Adivasis’ for a reason, which means that they are the original owners of the land, the forest and the water. He said the Congress government had for the same reason enacted the Forest Protection Rights Act, which had been weakened by the BJP government. He promised to strengthen it again.

He pointed out, that the Congress led UPA government had launched the Aadhaar Card scheme from Nandurbar tribal district in Maharashtra with a special purpose to convey special message to the tribal people that they are the original owners of this land and have the first right to the Aadhaar Card which determines the identity of the Indians.

Gandhi listed five promises and guarantees exclusively for the Adivasis in the country. He said, the Forest Rights Act Congress brought and which had been weakened by the BJP will be strengthened. He said, all the claims of the tribal people, which have been wrongly rejected, will be reviewed and settled within six months and the land will be handed over to them within one year.

Similarly, he added, the Forest Conservation Act and Land Acquisition Act, both of which were again weakened by the BJP government will also be strengthened again. He said, they will get four times the market price for their land if the land is acquired.

In another historic announcement, he said, wherever there will be 50 percent or more Adivasi population, that particular area will be included in the Sixth Schedule and all the local decisions will be taken by the Adivais people only, no one else. He said, like the Congress gave legal guarantee for MSP for various crops, similar legal guarantee will be given for various types of forest produce.

The former Congress president also promised to enact the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) to facilitate local governance in the tribal areas.