Paswan flays Mayawati's opposition to SC/ST job quota bill

New Delhi: Condeming BSP's oppostion to a government bill aimed at giving legal status to reservation for SC/ST in jobs, LJP today alleged it was "a drama by the Mayawati-led party to gain political mileage".

LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the passage of the bill could have turned reservation for SC/ST into a law, which is so far governed by a government order. He also accused BSP members of remaining absent from meetings to discuss amendments in the bill.

"BSP leaders did not attend even SC/ST parliamentary forum meeting, which is an all-party body but today they attempted to disrupt question hour for no reason," Paswan told reporters here.

He, however, admitted the bill that was passed in the Rajya Sabha was different from what the Group of Minister (GoM) had recommended earlier.

"We immediately took up the matter when it came to our knowledge. The Speaker called a meeting of all parties on February 12 discuss the issue. We also met union minister Pranab Mukherjee but no BSP leader attended either of the meetings. They were absent even in the last meeting which was called to give final touches to the bill," Paswan said.

Drop bill on SC/ST posting curbs in IIT: Maya asks Centre

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said on Wednesday that the proposed bill removing reservation in teaching posts for SC/STs in IITs will spoil quota benefits of such communities and appealed to the Centre to withdraw from the legislation in this regard.

The 'Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Posts and Services Reservation) Bill-2008 is to be tabled in Parliament on Thursday. "The Bill will prevent SC/STs from availing reservation benefits. I have written a letter to the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha speaker and UPA chairperson requesting them to reconsider and withdraw the bill," the BSP chief told reporters in Lucknow.

"It would be unfortunate if SC/STs do not get reservation benefits in institutions in which they were availing the facility," she argued.

Once the bill is passed, people of SC/ST communities will not enjoy reservation in teaching in 47 institutions, including IIMs and IITs.

"This (the Bill) will devoid SC/ST candidates of reservation benefits for Group-A posts in IIMs, IITs and central universities", she said.

Terming Congress as "casteist" party, Mayawati alleged that it wanted to scrap provisions of reservation and was getting help of BJP in its endeavour.

Tribal Problems in Assam

The State of Assam is today facing a myriad of diverse and composite problems and one of the most prominent issues is regarding the vast and diverse tribal population of the State. Tribal problems have today taken an acute turn as regards ethnicity which is a comparatively new phenomenon.

The tribal problems of today are nothing to be surprised at as eminent historians in the past had forecasted such a present day scenario considering the economic, social, and cultural deprivation of the tribals of the State which has been increasing from decade to decade. In the pre-independence era the tribal unrest took an infantile step during the first half of the 20th century. This has become an important chapter in the historical scenario of pre-independence Assam.

The tribal situation and their grievances were first publicly placed before the Simon Commission which was constituted at St. James, London on November 26, 1927. The main intention of the Simon Commission was “to enquire into the working of the system of Government, the growth of education and the development of representative institutions in British India and matters connected therewith.”

The Simon Commission reached Assam in late 1928 and its activities continued till January, 1929. The Simon Commission asked members from the “Primitive and Backward Tribes” of Assam to depose before it at Shillong on 4, January, 1929. In response to it, several memorandums from the different tribal communities were placed. They were 1) memorandum by Bodo community of Goalpara District by Ghyasuddin Ahmed. 2) memorandum of the Kachari community in Assam by Jadav Chandra Khaklari, 3) memorandum by Bodo Jubak Sanmiloni by Shyama Charan Brahma and Rupa Ram Brahma.

The distinct identity and civilisation of the Bodos and their existence in Goalpara and neighbouring areas were described in the first memorandum. There should be a separate category for the “Bodos” in the census report. In the memorandum reference was also made about safeguarding the interest of the Bodo community for having a separate representative in the Council. There should be four seats for Assam in Central Legislature and out of those one should be reserved for Bodos of Assam. Through the memorandum the Bodos opposed the transfer of district of Goalpara to Bengal which was wanted by some Zamindars of Goalpara since the Bodos had more affinity with the Assamese than the Bengalis. In educational matters a demand was made that the Government should bestow special treatment to the Bodo community and provision should be made for free primary education and special scholarship to be given for higher education.

The memorandum from the Kachari community which comprised of the Rabhas, Sonowals, Meches, Thengais, Laloongs, Saranias, Dimasas and Husai etc all from different ramifications of the same community e.g. the Kacharis. It was also mentioned that since in the memorandum that the Kacharis are “Historically and traditionally, stand on a very high level and socially they enjoy splendid isolation, but educationally and politically they are backward” . Since they formed one fifth of the Assamese population they wanted separate representation for them in the legislature. They also wanted two seats to be reserved in the local legislature. The memorandum also stressed upon grants for their spread of education. As students of their community weren’t allowed to mess together with the Hindus so they wanted provisions of separate messings in all schools and colleges of Assam, The third memorandum by Bodo Juvak Sanmilani also emphasised that they should receive a special treatment the hands of the Government in matters of appointment and education. They also protested against the timer business which was going out of their hands to the outsiders depriving them of a great source of income. Therefore they wanted that the old system of the forest Mahal should be reintroduced and Bodos be given the right of trading in timer business in forests of the district of Goalpara.

These were some of the grievances placed before the Simon Commission. Since 1928, the tribals gradually united themselves and placed their grievances in different platforms. It was during this period that tribal students of Cotton College were against provision of separate mess for them where associated Bhimbar Deori then student of Cotton College, who later on took leadership of the tribal uprising. Bijoy Chandra Bhagawati, one of the renowned freedom fighter who was also a student of Cotton College of those times also protested against this discrimination meted out to the tribals.

In 1930, Bishnu Prasad Rabha a leading personality of Assamese culture wrote in an essay that if the politicians and social activists do not try to equalise the status of the oppressed and downtrodden races with other advanced races of Assam then there will be a civil war in Assam, which can be justified in the context of present scenario of Assam.

Gradually, the tribals united themselves to set forth their various grievances and in 1933 under the able leadership of Bhimbar Deori all tribals of Assam assembled in Nowgong and formed the Assam Backward Tribals League and Bhimbar Deori was appointed its general secretary and Jadav Chandra Khaklari became president of this league. Bhimbar Deori felt that only if all the different tribes such as Sonowal, Kachari, Mattaks, Misings, Bodos, Tiwa, Rabha etc unites then only they can develop themselves.

Since its birth the Tribal League was trying to reveal before the Government their backwardness in order to gain sympathy and was also trying to spread their organisation in different parts of Assam. In response to the League, the Government of Assam reserved four seats out of 108 of Assam Legislative Assembly in 1935. In 1937 Rupnath Brahma, Ravi Chandra Kachari, Kark Chandra Doley and Dhirsing Deuri were elected in the reserved seats for the first time from Tribal League. Bhimbar Deuri became a member of Assam Legislative Council being nominated by Government of Assam.

As is evident from the present day scenario the great patriarch Bishnu Prasad Rabha’s words have proved to be prophetic. Even after five decades of independence socio-economic disparity among the tribals of Assam is still rampant. Despite a few endeavours by a few political leaders such as the late Gopinath Bordoloi, respective Central and State Governments have not been able to do anything to bring the tribals into the mainstream of the society. Different offices and Panchayats for Tribal Welfare have been set up but their contribution towards tribal uplift has been minimal.

It is perhaps due to the feeling of alienation among the tribals that we find ourselves today in the present atmosphere of violence and extremism as the tribals are today refusing to let themselves be taken for granted. A solution can only be feasible if the Central and State governments take a pro-active and sincere approach towards solving the genuine problem faced by the tribals of the State.

Source: Abid Bihu

The clamour for tribal status in Assam

By M. S. Prabhakara

One of the many contentious issues in Assam is the longstanding demand of various communities, tribal and non-tribal, for a modification of their present status. This is likely to figure as a campaign issue, especially in the two scheduled tribe (ST) constituencies of Kokrajhar and Diphu.

Twenty-three tribal communities, as well as a notional 24th category described as ‘unclassified,’ are enumerated in Assam. Fourteen of these are designated as ‘Hill Tribes’ and the other nine are ‘Plains Tribes.’

The Hill Tribes are a residue of the once composite State of Assam that included the four Hill districts that eventually became Nagaland (1963), Meghalaya (1972) and Mizoram (Union Territory in 1972 and full fledged State in 1987).

The Hill Tribes are so recognised only in the two Hill districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills that have remained part of Assam; and the Plains Tribes are so recognised in the Plains Districts of the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley — an anomaly inherited from colonial classificatory practice since both the Hill Tribes and the Plains Tribes are spread all over the State.

To take an example, the Bodo (Plains Tribe) is not recognised as a tribe in Karbi Anglong, which is a Hill district; and correspondingly, the Karbi (Hill tribe) is not recognised as a tribe in the Plains Districts of Assam. This is certainly an electoral issue in both Diphu (ST) in the hills and Kokrajhar (ST) in the plains.

The Hill Tribes, which were opposed to the extension of tribal status to non-resident Plains Tribal communities in the hill districts are now reconciled to it, provided that the new entrants will not eat into the 12 per cent reservation available to them in their districts.

There are more complex demands, all rooted in the perverse perception that the tribal status, as a Plains Tribe or as a Hill Tribe, is privileged.

First, there is the demand by six non-tribal communities in the Brahmaputra Valley — the Tai Ahom, the Matak, the Moran, the Chutia, the Koch Rajbongshi and the Adivasi — for classification as Scheduled Tribes. The existing tribal communities are opposed to the extension of tribal status, enlarging the tribal pool and necessarily diluting the share of benefits that they enjoy.

Second is the demand by some of the nine Plains tribal communities, historically classified as ST, for the constitution of ‘autonomous councils’ in the name of their communities. This provision was initially available to the Hill Tribes whose desire for autonomy has gone far beyond what was implied and provided in the early Autonomous Councils. The Bodos were the first Plains tribal community to get it as part of the first Bodo accord.

Finally, the demand of the two autonomous Hill Tribe districts, Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, for their constitution into an ‘autonomous State within Assam’ under Article 244-A of the Constitution is one of the most complex issues in these elections, though superficially of concern only to the Autonomous Districts.

Source: The Hindu

Tribes - exclusive shop for all tribal handicrafts

New Delhi: TRIBES, a shop at Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan near Connaught Place in Delhi, is an exclusive house of tribal handicrafts in country.

You can easily find varieties of Longpi pottery of Tangkhul tribe, hand woven fabrics, bamboo basketry, bead jewellery etc. manufactured by tribes namely Hmar, Maring, Angami, Sema etc from Manipur along with all other tribal products of India.

The products at the shop reflect colourful and rich culture of Indian tribal people-the integral part of country`s heritage. The range includes unique artefacts and utility items made by the tribals from the entire length and breadth of the country.

TRIBES is a project of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

TRIBES has its outlets in Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharastra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Main objective to set up TRIBES was to showcase tribal arts and crafts ensuring remunerative prices for tribal artisans and facilitate marketing platform for their creations, said Sandeep, Shop Manager of TRIBES, Delhi.

Presently main activity of TRIBES was to undertake projects with the objective of marketing the development of tribal handicrafts, handlooms and organic food items benefiting tribal craftspersons of the country.

Products are collected from tribals all over the country. To cite a few, mat, sarees, grass curtains from Jharkhand; gift items, embroidery work, soap from Andhra Pradesh; Metal items, silk sarees, honey, dupatta from Chhattisgarh; organic food items, carpets, shawls from Uttaranchal; shawls, stoles, mufflers made of pashmina, angora, wool, yak wool, silk and yak mixed and juices from Himachal Pradesh; tribal paintings, dupatta, metal items from Orrissa; tuna fish, coconut powder from Lakshadweep; teracotta toys,cotton sarees, tops etc. from Rajasthan; wall hangings and other gift items,etc from Gujarat.

Products from North Eastern states also included hand woven fabrics and pottery from Manipur; sea-shell, bead, glass bead and coral jewelleries from Nagaland; original bead necklace from Arunachal Pradesh; jam and green bamboo souvniers from Meghalaya; pickles, juices, copper and gold plated statues from Sikkim and hand woven fabrics and textiles from Assam.

For the promotion of products, advertising like release of advertisement in print media, preparation of banners, pamphlets, hoarding, POP displays, sale promotion kits etc. were also undertaken, Sandeep said.

Adivasi Cobra Force

The Adivasi Cobra Force (ACF) also known as the Adivasi Cobra Militant Force (ACMF) is a militant organization with the claimed objective of protecting the adivasi people of Lower Assam, India through armed combat.

Formation
In the late 1990s, Assam was beset by various ethnic riots between Bodos and Santhals. The Bodos began joining groups such as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and the Bodo Liberation Tigers Force. In early 1996, over 100 Santal tribals were killed in riots. In response, the Santals, claiming threats to their interests formed many groups with other Naga tribes in the area and the ACF was formed on July 7, 1996.

Ideology
The ACF does not espouse any political ideology nor is it separatist like many other groups in the Seven Sister States. It claims to be an outlet to protect the tribals who were allegedly "ethnically cleansed" during the 1996 riots from Bodo organizations. They demand reparations for the Santals displaced by and killed in the riots and demand that "adivasis" be recognized as a protected people by the Government of India.

Organization
Estimates of the number of operatives in the organization range from 100 to 350. The group operates out of Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts. The commander of the organization is Durga Minz and the chairman is Xabrias Khakha. The other main leader is Kandu Murmu.

Activities
The organization has a large training program in Bhutan. In 2000, Indian Security Forces destroyed an ACF camp in Kokrajhar; however, one year later, they completed a large-scale extortion drive in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Dhubri to fund the terror camp in Bhutan.

Their attacks mainly target the Assamese government and Bodo militants.

On September 9, 2001 the group signed a cease-fire with the Government of India which was to last until January 2002. The ceasefire held until 2004 and was then extended by the Government of India on July 1, 2004. In 2005, chairman Xabrias Khakha said that the ACF was considering becoming a legitimate political party to contest elections in Assam.

Panel to be formed for Tribal Rehabilitation

Thiruvananthapuran: The Forest, Revenue and SC/ST Departments will work jointly to solve the rehabilitation of tribal people in Chinnakkanal. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held here on Thursday, chaired by Forests and Housing Minister Binoy Viswam and attended by Revenue Minister K.P.Rajendran and SC/ST Minister A.K.Balan. A joint committee would be formed with representatives from the three Departments and it will conduct a joint survey to find suitable land for the rehabilitation of tribals residing in the Perinchamkudi Teak Plantation, where elephant menace poses a threat to the tribals.


The committee would also consider the rehabilitation of the Muthuvan community in four other Muthuvan colonies where elephant menace is not as serious as in Perinchamkudi.

The families which were allotted land earlier would be relocated only with their consent. The Government will also consider taking back the allotted land when they are rehabilitated. If necessary, the old title deeds would be cancelled. The rehabilitation would be based on the report of the committee. The traditional Muthuvan communities reside at the Chempakathozhukudi, Kozhipannakudi, Thankukudi and Pachapulkudi areas of Chinnakkanal. Other tribal habitats include the 301-acre colony, 80-acre colony, Panthadikulam, Vilakku and Suryanelli areas. Of the 559 families, only 138 families are living in the land allotted to them. 43 families had shifted to Perinchamkudi. Three tribals were killed and over 50 injured in elephant attacks so far. It has been estimated that there are over 28 elephants in this area.

Source: ExpressBuzz

Tribal culture centre upgraded to the centre of excellence

The Tribal Culture Centre (TCC) promoted by Tata Steel has been upgraded to the centre of excellence. The upgraded centre was formally inaugurated by Mr. B. Muthuraman, MD of Tata Steel today morning amidst a huge gathering.

Mr. Muthuraman was delighted to see the upgraded centre with more facilities and opportunities for the tribals. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Muthuraman said, “Mankind has been chasing the philosophy of equal opportunity for long, but has not been successful in adopting this. However, Tata Steel has believed in Affirmative Action since its inception. By its inherent social consciousness, the company has adopted Affirmative Action. Anything that is done should be done in consultation with the people for whom it is done. Through this Centre, Tata Steel will be able to provide the necessary foundation to the people for equal opportunity.”Mr Partha Sengupta, VP (CS), Tata Steel was also present during the occasion along with other Senior Executives of Tata Steel, members of various tribal associations and senior citizens of Jamshedpur.

During the occasion, Ms. Munni Tiu and Mr. Jagarnath Soren, the beneficiaries of one of the projects for tribals shared their experiences with the gathering. Ms Tiu is now the Ward Commissioner of the Gamharia block of Sareikela Kharsawan district of Jharkhand and Mr Soren is currently working in the Coke Plant of the Company after completing his trade apprentice training.

TCC which was set up in the year 1990 for the welfare of the tribal community of Jharkhand now has an upgraded Heritage Hall and Amphitheatre depicting the heritage and culture of the various tribes of Jharkhand.

Mr. Satish Pillai, Chief, CSS, Tata Steel in his welcome address informed that the Company has proposed to use TCC for the promotion of rural enterprise, Santhali language, vocational training and art and culture of the tribals with a special focus on the promotion of Jharkhand tribal sports called “Kati”. Plans are afoot to set up a sports hostel for the tribals in the near future.

Though Affirmative Action was declared as a Policy in 2006 by the Government of India, Tata Steel has been practicing it for over three decades now. Through Tribal Cultural Society (TCS), Tata Steel has been working for the preservation of the rich tribal heritage and culture of the indigenous people in the state of Jharkhand. A Heritage Hall maintained by Tata Steel in Jamshedpur, serves as a platform for highlighting tribal legacy. It showcases the lifestyle of not only the Oraon, Ho, Munda and Santhal tribes but also the primitive tribes like Sabar, Birhor, Kharia, Mal-Paharia and Suray-Pahariya. Other projects focus on improvement of livelihood opportunities amongst the economically weaker sections and improvement of health and hygiene amongst marginalized families.

Tata Steel has done some exemplary work in the state of Jharkhand and has made a huge difference to the lives of the people. It has taken up the responsibility to save and protect the primitive tribes of Jharkhand and bring them at par with mainstream civilization. Now,

the company is in the process of taking this model forward to other eastern states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Needless to say, the gamut of Tata Steel’s social outreach programmes for the upliftment of the weaker sections of society spreads across all segments that include income generation, health and hygiene, education and adult literacy, agriculture and wasteland management. It covers over 800 villages in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Hepatitis-B affecting Tripura’s tribal population

Agartala - About 15 per cent of the tribal population in Tripura was affected by Hepatitis-B which was much above the national average, president of the Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura (HFT) Dr Pradip Bhowmick said today. The tribals constitute one third of the State’s population of 35 lakh.

However, the disease has affected only 4.5 per cent of the State’s population as a whole, which is much less than the national average of 8 per cent, Bhowmick informed.

The Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura, a non-government organisation which works in collaboration with the State Government, has vaccinated more than three lakh people in the State in last six years.

The Foundation would very soon conduct a survey through out the State to find out the level of awareness of the people about the disease, whether they were being vaccinated and the reason behind the high incidence of the disease in tribal areas, he said. Dr Bhowmick said, after the survey reports were available, the organisation would build up stringent awareness campaign and set up more vaccination centres depending on the requirements.

Source - The Assam Tribune

Bihar to set up Scheduled Tribes commission

Patna: The Bihar government has decided to set up a commission that will recommend measures for the socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes in the state, a minister said Thursday.The move to set up the Scheduled Tribes Commission is to implement an all-inclusive growth in the state, said Jitan Ram Manjhi, minister for backward class welfare.

Manjhi said a census of tribal population in the state would be undertaken soon to survey their problems.

He said that the government was in the process of implementing Right to Forest Act, 2006, in 14 districts with substantial tribal population.

The Scheduled Tribes Commission will be set up on the lines of the comission for Maha Dalits, most deprived and marginalised section.

The Maha Dalit commission was established in 2007 for the welfare of certain Dalit sub-castes, which are socially and educationally more backward than others.

Bihar was the first state in India to constitute a commission and study the status of the neglected sub-castes among Dalits and to suggest ways to uplift them.

The commission in its first interim report to the government a few months ago painted a bleak picture of these Dalit sub-castes. The report said there were no high school teachers or senior officials from these castes in the state despite reservations in government jobs for them.

Court comes to rescue of Jharkhand tribal

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday came to the rescue of a tribal who lost his vision after a bullet fired by the police pierced his brain through the eye, and ruled that the man will be treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) here. The AIIMS earlier turned him away on the plea that he was brought there too late.The victim, who has been battling for life for over two months as the bullet is still embedded in his brain, was injured when the police fired at a group of agitators of which he was a part, during a protest against land acquisition for a private power plant.

Shivlal Soren, 23, a tribal from Kathikund village in Dumka district who continues to be in judicial custody, was referred to the AIIMS by a Ranchi hospital.

However, Soren, who was brought to the capital by the Jharkhand police Jan 31, was turned away by the AIIMS on the ground that he victim was brought very late for treatment, that his condition had deteriorated and the chances of his survival were slim.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah directed the AIIMS authorities to immediately treat Soren and file a status report Wednesday.

Soren was hit by a bullet on Dec 6 last year when the villagers were protesting against land acquisition for setting up 1,000 MW power plants at Kathikund in Santhal Pargana region.

Source: Thaindian

Tribals die in Lalgarh bullet & arrow clash

Midnapore: Three tribals were killed in restive Lalgarh in West Midnapore today in a clash between a resistance group and CPM activists carrying the body of a leader slain by suspected Maoists.

The tragedy is threatening to reopen the wounds in Lalgarh that was under a Nandigram-style blockade for over a month from November 7.

Today’s bloodletting traces its roots to the Maoist attack on the chief minister’s convoy on November 2. The alleged police excesses that followed gave birth to the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities in Lalgarh. The committee had declared the area out of bounds for the police even after the blockade with felled trees was lifted in December.

However, in today’s CPM cortege of at least 12 cars and 40 motorcycles, there were some policemen.

“Our supporters stopped the policemen escorting the convoy. Our intention was not to stop the convoy. But some CPM workers and policemen started shooting. Those killed are our supporters,” committee leader Chhatradhar Mahato said.

The CPM, which suspects Maoists backed the tribals in the clash in which bullets and arrows flew, alleged the committee’s supporters had fired first. Mahato denied the allegation.

West Midnapore police chief Rajesh Kumar Singh did not say who fired first but insisted it was not the police.

The victims were identified as Rajaram Mandi, 55, his son Lakhiram, 25, and Gopinath Soren, 37.

The CPM activists were returning with the body of zonal committee member Nandalal Pal, shot dead by suspected Maoists yesterday, after the post-mortem.

“When the procession reached Khas Jangal around 2.30pm, it was stopped by the committee’s supporters, including women,” a police officer said. The agitators allegedly smashed the windscreen of a police jeep.

“The tribals opened fire and shot arrows at our workers. Our supporters managed to flee with Nandalal’s body,” said Dahareswar Sen, a CPM leader.

Later in the evening, the agitators placed tree trunks on the main road connecting Lalgarh with Ramgarh, the site of a police camp, in about 15 places. “We will block roads across Lalgarh again tomorrow,” Mahato said, demanding that the camp be abandoned.

During the month-long blockade in November, security officials had expressed the fear that Maoists from Jharkhand were using the cover to replenish supplies.

CPM leaders said this evening they would not let the situation escalate. “We don’t want more trouble. We want the tribals with us. But we must remember that our partymen cannot just sit back and take all the beating,” state secretariat member Benoy Konar said.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee dubbed the killings “state-sponsored terrorism”. She said she would visit Lalgarh if the situation did not improve in a day or two.

Source: The Telegraph