Over 750 tribal leaders and activists are going to meet in Vishakhapatnam for a national convention
Over 750 tribal leaders and activists are set to come together in Vishakhapatnam on Sunday, 21st May to participate in an all India tribal commission. The goal of the meeting is to discuss the rising attacks against the community.
The leader of tribal communities from states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar UP, the northeastern states of Tripura and Manipur are expected to participate in the day-long convention said the convener of the all-India tribal convention’s committee.
The convention will contemplate considering a proposal to bring the leaders and communities across the country and bring them together to develop awareness about their issues, and hopefully find a solution for them.
Tribal writer and journalist and former member of Jharkhand’s Women Commission Dr Vasavi Kiro will be delivering the opening address, while Vemulapalli Venkataramaiah, the president of All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha(AIKMS), and P Trinadhrao, writer on tribal issues, will conduct the inaugural session.
former member of Jharkhand’s Women Commission Dr Vasavi Kiro; Source: Outlook India
The lands of these tribal people are being taken, their livelihood is being snatched while there are constant attacks on their identity, culture, and language. Forceful attempts of assimilation are made. Their anti-colonial heroes are ignored and repeated attempts are made to sow discord and conflict among them. Their culture and identity contribute to the nation’s culture and identity, after all, they have been here for much longer than we have.
The committee says that the central government has made the forest conservation rule, 2022, amended the forest polity, and is going to amend the forest conservation act in order to take away their resource-rich land and give it to domestic and foreign companies. Their rightful land and resources are being snatched away from them.
They also add how the goal of these reforms is to further strengthen the government machinery, including forest guards, and give them the ability to oppress and repress them. On the other hand, the execution of the forest rights act, of 2006, was a very dilatory one. This act was a result of the community’s long-drawn struggle and claim to redo the historical injustice they had faced throughout the years. Now their rights under this act are being snatched away. The implementation of the Panchayat (extended to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA) has not been proper. Attacks on their land have been escalated under the name of wildlife sanctuaries.
The commission has been meeting every year, to discuss the grievances of the community and find out where the problem lies, and what they can do in order to find solutions. The slogans for the convention are ‘Protection of our land, livelihood and identity’ and ‘Development without displacement and protection of forests’.The committee stated that the convention is being held when the community is facing oppression in several parts of the country for standing up for themselves, resisting attacks and fighting for their rights.
