Tribals demand their rights as PM talks of their development

NEW DELHI - Even as the prime minister Wednesday emphasised on equitable growth and guaranteeing legitimate rights of tribals, members of various tribes staged a protest in the capital demanding their right over forest land.

The central government claims that it cares about the rights of adivasis (tribals) and forest dwellers and it wishes to provide them development. However it promotes initiatives that deprive the community of their rights, said Shankar Gopalakrishnan of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, which organised the protest.

The nearly 200 members of the tribal community who have gathered here for the protest have a few demands and we have also written to the prime minister about it. One of them is that the right and power of the people to protect their forest resources must be recognised under the Forest Rights Act, he said.

All corporate projects in forest areas must be undertaken with the consent of the tribal community, Gopalakrishnan added.

The protest against the non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act which began Tuesday is being held parallel to the conference of chief ministers and state ministers of tribal affairs in the capital Wednesday.

In the conference Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: There has been a systemic failure in giving the tribals a stake in the modern economic processes that inexorably intrude into their living spaces. The alienation built over decades is now taking a dangerous turn in some parts of our country.

“The systematic exploitation and social and economic abuse of our tribal communities can no longer be tolerated. We have to counter this threat with determination. While violence cannot be tolerated, the tribals must be the primary beneficiaries of the development process.