JAIPUR: In a new twist to the tribal identity row that has rocked Rajasthan for the past month, the BJP government in the state has suspended Menka Damor, a tribal woman teacher, following her participation in a tribal rally in Banswara district a fortnight ago. The rally was called for the establishment of a separate Bheel/tribal state in India.
The largest organisation of Bhil Society, Adivasi Parivar, also participated in the rally. On this occasion, founder member of Adivasi Parivar Sanstha, Maneka Damor, said in the rally, “Women of the tribal community should not follow the instructions of the Pandits.”
Adivasi Parivar Sanstha is spread across four states. During the rally, Damor made a bold statement, asserting that she neither wears a mangalsutra nor applies sindoor, emphasising that tribals are distinct from Hindus and do not adhere to Hindu customs. She also criticized the recent efforts to saffronise government schools by highlighting the prevalence of Hindu deities and festivals in educational institutions across Rajasthan.
“Tribal women do not wear sindoor, do not wear mangalsutra. Women and girls of tribal society should focus on education. Stop all fasts from today. We are not Hindus. Our culture and that of the Hindu community are different. Our schools have been made the house of deities. Schools are temples of education; there should be no festivals there,” Damor had stated at the rally.
The suspension of Damor has reignited the ongoing debate about Hindu versus Adivasi identity in the state, a controversy sparked by Education Minister Madan Dilawar’s remarks a few weeks ago. Dilawar had suggested that Adivasis who do not consider themselves Hindus should undergo DNA testing to trace their ancestry.
This Maharally of the tribal community was organized at Mangarh pilgrimage in Banswara, the historical place of tribal community. Apart from Rajasthan, people of tribal community from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh reached the mega rally in large numbers.
During this rally, Bharat Adivasi Party’s Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat stressed on creating Bhil Pradesh. He said that the demand for creating Bhil Pradesh is not a new thing. He said that BAP is raising this demand strongly from all forums.
