The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP and RSS of attempting to weaken tribal political representation by reducing the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes through delimitation, and said it would oppose any such exercise based on the 2007-08 delimitation report.
Addressing the ‘Adivasi Ekta Mahajutan Rally’ at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju said the party would stand with tribal communities in protecting their political representation and rights over land, water and forests.
“The BJP tells adivasis that they are forest dwellers, but our leader Rahul Gandhi has clearly said that you are moolvasis and have full rights over water, forests and land,” Raju said.
He claimed that Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had asked him to convey to the gathering that the proposed delimitation was a “BJP conspiracy” intended to reduce tribal representation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
All India Adivasi Congress chairman Vikrant Bhuria said the Congress was protesting against any attempt to reduce tribal representation through delimitation.
“The BJP is trying to reduce our seats of representation during delimitation. We have come here to protest against that,” Bhuria said.
He said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called for delimitation to be postponed by another 25 years so that tribal representation could reflect future population patterns and reservation requirements.
“As many seats as we have, that much will be our strength. They are going to reduce our power to contest elections,” Bhuria claimed.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat alleged that tribal communities had borne the brunt of displacement caused by mining, industries, major infrastructure projects and dams.
“Tribal land is being snatched. Now, the BJP and RSS are conspiring to silence tribals by reducing their seats in the name of delimitation. But they will never succeed in the land of Birsa Munda. Adivasi seats will not decrease and their voice will not be suppressed,” he said.
Former state minister Bandhu Tirkey said the Congress would oppose any delimitation exercise carried out on the basis of the 2007-08 report.
“The BJP and RSS want to reduce our seats. But we want to make it clear that if they carry out delimitation based on the 2007-08 report, we will not tolerate it. Tribals are ready to fight for their rights,” Tirkey said.
He also alleged that the proposed exercise could weaken constitutional safeguards under the Fifth Schedule and provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA.
The Centre accepted the Delimitation Commission’s report on February 14, 2008. However, the exercise was deferred in Jharkhand, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh until 2026 following a subsequent constitutional amendment.
(With inputs from PTI)