Tribals seek land rights from Congress govt
The party had promised that if it came to power, it would revise amendments to the Forest Land Rights Act.
Tribals in Chhattisgarh are disillusioned with the Congress that formed a government in the state in December last year, as their demand for permanent land owning rights has still not been considered.
The Congress had come to power in the state by defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the promise of permanent land owning rights for tribals in Chhattisgarh. In 2016, the Raman Singh-led BJP government had amended the Forest Land Rights Act that provides land owning rights to tribals and had carried out several major land acquisitions for industrial set-ups for a Tata Steel plant and some coal mines in the state.
The Congress had promised that if it came to power, the party would revise the amendments to the Forest Land Rights Act in Chhattisgarh, but after coming to power, it had announced several measures for farmers in the state, but none of the promises made to the tribals have been kept.
Jatin Baiga, president of Advisi Kalyan Samiti (AKS), told The Sunday Guardian: “The Congress government has fooled tribals in Chhattisgarh, our demands are still pending. The Congress government had promised to revise the Forest Land Rights Act to give permanent land owning rights to the tribals, but ever since the party has come to power, it has not initiated any process to meet its poll promises.”
“The incumbent government has not come up with any progressive steps for tribals in Chhattisgarh. The tribals are being looted by the big companies and the government is only taking ad hoc steps to save the interests of tribals in the region. Even the loan waiver which was announced by the Congress government has not been implemented in full spirit as various clauses in the loan waiver scheme are of exclusionary nature,” Baiga said.
However, the newly formed Chhattisgarh government has announced a hike in price of Tendu leaves and has also allowed tribals to continue to cultivate the basic farm produce. It has also cancelled several land acquisitions that were done by the Raman Singh government, but the government has not announced any substantive measures to provide permanent land owning rights to the tribals.
According to political observers, tribals had gone against the BJP in the recently concluded polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The BJP had lost 120 of the 180 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Chhattisgarh has 43% of its seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes; Madhya Pradesh 36% and Rajasthan 30%. “If the Congress government does not meet our demands soon, it will meet the same fate as the BJP in coming general elections. Triabls are now aware of their demands and political parties can’t fool them for a long period,” Baiga said.