Half-truth of tribal girls’ HSC exams

The Odisha government’s recent claim that nine Dongaria Kondh tribal girls from Special Educational Complex at Kansur in Rayagada district successfully passed the High School Certificate Examinations (HSC) has proved to be a halftruth.

According to tribal researchers, of the nine girls, only two belong to the primitive Dongaria Kondh tribal community. The students are Subarna Jakesika and Sukanti Wedeka. Of the seven others, two students — Sunita Kadraka and Mamita Kadraka — are from the Lohara Kondh community. Lohara Kondh comes under the Other Backward Class category. The remaining five students — Suna Warlika, Pinki Kondagiri, Taruni Kondagiri, Manjula Palka and Bhanjani Huika — are from the Desia Kondh community, a normal tribal clan, not belonging to the Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) as propagated by the state government. “What is quite shocking is that although the Special Educational Complex is exclusively meant for the PVTG Dongaria Kondh students, most of the students here were admitted on the basis of caste certificates issued by

the local ruling BJD MLA,” noted tribal researcher of Rayagada, Dr Gouranga Charan Rout, on Tuesday.

In another special educational complex at Chatikona, only one of the five students who cleared the HSC examinations have been found to belong to the Dongaria Kondh community. “Violating the standing rule, the state government agencies and ruling party leaders are admitting students of other communities to hide their own weakness and get publicity,” adds Dr Rout.

The BJP fired a salvo at chief minister Naveen Patnaik for “feeding false news” to the public. On May 2, the state government had gone on an overdrive to showcase the success of the nine girls as one of its major achievements on empowering tribal women.

State tribal development department, Rayagada district administration and even the chief minister had felicitated the girls.