Thousands of tribals protest government neglect

RAIPUR - Thousands of tribals from the interior areas of Chhattisgarh Saturday held a rally in this state capital to protest their “neglect” by the central and state governments.

Tribal men and women marched through the main streets of the capital to the rally at the sports complex ground, where over a dozen tribal leaders cutting across party lines and including three ministers of the states ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as also several Congress leaders, addressed them.

The leaders called upon the tribals to remain united and step up their movement in the country in general and in Chhattisgarh in particular against the “consistent neglect of tribal communitys interests”.

The leaders said that Chhattisgarh government should provide up to 32 percent reservations for tribals in government jobs and should also launch welfare schemes aimed at improving quality of their life.