
NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) Govt of India to take action on four petitions regarding various challenges faced by the tribal communities in India due to non-implementation of the Tribal Policy and inaction by Ministry of health, education and Women & Child Development.
The petitions filed by Rights Activist and Advocate Radhakanta Tripathy were disposed of by NHRC, which subsequently issued orders addressing the concerns raised.
Tripathy's first petition draws attention towards the plight of tribal communities in India who are being forced to leave their homes due to projects like building dams, roads, and industries causing them to lose their land, livelihood, and basic rights.
He alleged that despite government promises, they are not being properly rehabilitated or provided with basic facilities. He has requested the NHRC for immediate action to protect their rights and ensure they are resettled with dignity.
In another petition, he raised the ongoing struggles of land and forest rights faced by the landless and homeless tribals on account of some projects, reservation of forests as a National Parks, sanctuaries etc.
He said that compensation alone does not compensate the tribal for the difficulties they experience, adding denial and deprivation of land rights to tribal, coupled with the lack of basic amenities in the tribal habitations has led to severe hardships. Tripathy requested the NHRC to save tribals from further suffering.
In his third petition, Tripathy raised concerns about the severe health challenges faced by tribal children in India, including lack of access to medical care, malnutrition, and cultural barriers. He urged the Commission to ensure the right to health and reduce anemic rates among the tribal children by implementing Tribal Policy in India. He has also requested to ensure reduce starvation and malnutrition rates among the tribal people by implementing the schemes and Policies meant for the Tribals in India.
The fourth petition addressed the denial of education and human rights violations faced by tribal children in India, citing examples from various states. He highlighted the challenges like language barriers, poverty, teacher absenteeism, and poor infrastructure that contribute to high dropout rates.
He called for the urgent implementation of the National Tribal Policy to improve educational access and quality for tribal children, particularly focusing on language, cultural integration, and vocational training and to address the issues effectively.
Considering the petition, the NHRC directed the Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development, the Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India to consider the issues raised in the petition and ensure the needful action.