Thousands of tribals on Wednesday called off their march towards the Maharashtra secretariat in Mumbai after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them of time-bound action on their demands, including education, forest rights, drinking water and rehabilitation.
Nearly 49,000 people had set out from Bhiwandi in Thane district on Tuesday afternoon as part of the ‘Samvidhan Hakk Sangharsh Morcha’, led by Shramjeevi Sanghatna founder Vivek Pandit. The protesters had arrived from Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Nashik districts.
A delegation of the Shramjeevi Sanghatana, which works for tribal rights, met Fadnavis, who directed officials to expedite measures to address the community’s concerns and prepare time-bound action plans.
The protesters sought free, quality and skill-oriented education for tribal students up to the age of 18, dedicated educational complexes in every taluka, settlement of pending claims under the Forest Rights Act and access to clean drinking water in tribal hamlets.
Deputy Chief Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde reached the Kharigaon toll plaza in Thane late Tuesday night to address the protesters and inform them about several government resolutions (GRs) issued to address their demands.
Shinde said he had never seen so many GRs being issued in a single day, describing the move as a victory for the protesters and their leadership. He handed over copies of the resolutions to Pandit, following which the march was called off.
During his meeting with the delegation, Fadnavis said the Shramjeevi Sanghatana and the Samarthan organisation would be involved in preparing the Viksit Bharat 2047 Vision Document. Suggestions from various organisations would also be considered while drawing up a separate development plan for tribal communities.
The chief minister said the proposal to provide free and compulsory education to tribal students up to the age of 18 would be examined. He also directed officials to ensure free tuition and adequate scholarships, fill vacancies in Ashram and residential schools, and provide classrooms, separate toilets for boys and girls, and sports facilities in Zilla Parishad schools.
Fadnavis further announced that a special campaign would run until December 15 to settle eligible claims under the Forest Rights Act. Officials were directed to clear all eligible individual and community claims approved by village-level committees and ensure that no claim remained pending.
(With inputs from PTI)