NEW DELHI: The RSS is on a new mission. It wants to wean away India’s 10 crore tribal people from possible influences of Maoism and conversions by Christian missionaries by introducing a slew of welfare measures.
The Sangh wants the government to shift its focus to the tribal population, which has so far failed to enjoy the fruits of development. In a first, RSS frontal organisation Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has come out with a vision document featuring the administrative action required for the development of tribal people. The document has suggested significant policy interventions such as introducing a tribal policy, deploying dedicated cadres in tribal areas, creating a Third Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission for the welfare of tribal communities across the country. The RSS says its volunteers have been working among persons of tribal communities for their welfare. “In the past, some of the government policies only allowed either traders or the Churches into the tribal areas,” a Sangh functionary said.
The vision document, which is also likely to serve as a list of recommendations for the Narendra Modi government, will be formally released on Monday by BJP chief Amit Shah and RSS senior leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi in the presence of Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Jual Oram, Birinder Singh, Prakash Javadekar, Jitender Singh.
The 90-page document says it wants to strengthen tribal research institutes to act as repositories of knowledge on all aspects of the history, culture and life of tribals. The other significant suggestion in the vision document is to strengthen the Governors of States with significant tribal populations. A special tribal cell could be set up in the Governor’s office in the Schedule Five Areas.