NCST to convene meeting on alleged displacement of tribals from Chhattisgarh due to Maoist violence

The National Commission For Scheduled Tribes (NCST) will convene a meeting to discuss the issue of alleged displacement of tribals from Chhattisgarh due to Maoist violence with the Union ministries of home and tribal affairs.

Besides the Union ministries, representatives from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtara will be invited for the meeting that is likely to take place in June end or early next month, NCST Joint Secretary S K Rathore said.

"We discussed the matter at the 115th meeting of the commission held on June 4. The claim is that a lot of people from Chhattisgarh have gone to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra due to violence," he said.

Some members of the commission opined that like Kashmiri Pandits fled Jammu and Kashmir due to violence, something like that happened in Chhattisgarh also because of Maoist violence and they wanted to seek ground reports from the four states, Rathore said.

"We have called for feedback from these states. We have to ascertain if it is true. If yes, how many such people have settled there and thereafter, we will take it up with the ministries of home and tribal affairs," he said.

According to tribal rights activists claim around 30,000 people, who fled Chhattisgarh due to Maoist violence, are living in 248 settlements in the forests of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

These tribals are living in deplorable conditions without any access to drinking water and electricity. They get lower wages. Most of them don't have ration cards or voter IDs and cannot prove their citizenship, the activists claim, adding these states don't recognise them as tribals.

They have no right over forest land and remain excluded from all social security benefits, the activists claim.