Tribals

Jharkhand at 25: Unfulfilled potential of tribal heartland remains

Twenty-five years after its creation, Jharkhand continues to struggle with slow economic growth, high multidimensional poverty and persistent tribal welfare gaps despite fiscal improvements

J'khand BJP leaders pay tributes to Birsa Munda on 150th birth anniversary

Leaders of BJP's Jharkhand unit on Saturday paid rich tributes to tribal icon Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary on Saturday, taking out rallies and holding programmes in his honour across the state. Saffron party leaders, led by Union ministers Jual Oram, Sanjay Seth and former minister Arjun Munda paid floral tributes at the birthplace of Birsa Munda in Ulihatu in Khunti district, and held a programme to mark the occasion at Khunti town later in the day. Former chief minister Raghubar Das, accompanied by Leader of Opposition and state BJP president Babulal Marandi and Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu, paid homage to the tribal icon at a museum in Ranchi named after him. A rally was also taken out by BJP leaders and supporters from the Birsa Munda Museum to his Samadhi Sthal' in Ranchi. Speaking to reporters, Das termed the historic win of the NDA in neighbouring Bihar as victory of good governance and performance-based politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I would like to

PM Modi accuses Congress of neglecting tribals despite their contributions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said though tribals contributed greatly to India's freedom struggle, the Congress never recognised their contribution and left them to their own fate during the party's 60-year rule after Independence. Addressing a large gathering at Dediapada town in Gujarat's Narmada district to mark the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the PM said his government had increased medical facilities and was working to enhance sports infrastructure in tribal areas. Before his address, the PM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various infrastructure and development projects costing more than Rs 9,700 crore. "Tribals contributed greatly to the freedom struggle of our country. But the Congress left tribals to their own fate during 60 years of the party's rule," Modi asserted. "We have increased medical facilities in tribal areas as they face threat of sickle cell anaemia," the PM said. While informing that his government was .

PM Modi, Prez Murmu pay tributes to Birsa Munda on 150th birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to tribal rights leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary, which is celebrated as 'Janajatiya Gaurav Diwas' (Tribal Dignity Day) across the country. Born in 1875 in present-day Jharkhand, Munda challenged British rule and is credited with mobilising tribals against the empire. He died in British custody at the young age of 25. "I offer tributes to great freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda on this 150th birth anniversary," Modi said in a post on X. On the occasion of 'Janajatiya Gaurav Diwas', the entire nation reverently remembers the unparalleled contribution of the great freedom fighter of the country to protecting the honour of the motherland, the prime minister said. "His struggle and sacrifice against the injustice of foreign rule will continue to inspire every generation," Modi said. Munda led the Munda Rebellion against British rule. His struggle for tribal rights and self-rule made him a sy

Great Nicobar project will displace tribals, threaten survival: Congress

Flagging "core concerns" over the Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday claimed that it will disrupt and displace the tribal communities and threaten their survival and well-being which would go against all extant regulations, policies, and laws. The former environment minister said the public debate on the project continues with chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi writing on it on September 8 in a newspaper and Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav responding to it four days later. "But his response did not address the core concerns being raised - The environmental impact assessment conducted was rushed, incomplete, and flawed," he said on X. The fact that further impact studies have been mandated after the project has been granted clearance shows up its limitations, he argued. It is surprising that the assessment began even before terms of reference for it were issued, Rame

Tribals will be exempt from scope of proposed Uniform Civil Code: Rijiju

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said tribals of the northeast and other areas of the country will be kept out of the ambit of the proposed Uniform Civil Code so that they can live their lives "freely" as per their systems. Speaking at an event organised by the RSS-affiliate Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram here, he clarified the Union government's stand on the issue, saying that "some people create a bizarre atmosphere on social media these days and build a narrative" against the Centre. Rijiju, however, did not mention anybody's name. "Being a Union minister, I want to share the stand of our government. Our government and party (BJP) think about (bringing) a Uniform Civil Code in the country as per the Constitution. When criminal law is equal for all, why should the civil law also not be (equal for everyone)," the minister said. He said some states have already initiated work in this connection. "But we have clearly said that tribals will be exempted from this. Let .

Economic, social, political progress of tribals top priority: Odisha CM

CM Majhi said that until about 23 percent of the tribal population of the state is developed, the progress of the state is impossible

Tribals and the Hindutva framework: New book explores RSS's evolving views

From Sarna to Ghar Wapsi, this book breaks new ground on the evolution of RSS's thinking on tribals and complex questions such as their treatment after conversion to Christianity

Centre allocates ₹79,000 cr for tribal housing, infra, health: Jual Oram

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram said on Thursday that the Centre has set aside Rs 79,000 crore to provide houses, roads, health facilities and water to tribal areas across the country. Participating in an awareness programme under the Dharti Aaba Janabhagidari Abhiyan at Sanguem in South Goa, he said that the earlier Congress government never recognised that the problems faced by the tribal communities could be different from the other sections of society. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai also attended the event. It was only after the BJP came to power (in 2014) that a separate ministry was created for tribal welfare with a sizable budget, said the 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha. He said that the initial budget for the ministry was Rs 8,000 crore. Sometimes, I have sleepless nights. We have a huge budget of Rs 79,000 crore. This budget has to be utilised by the state governmen

Odisha Govt. plans to purchase land from needy tribals and dalits

To prevent non-tribals and non-dalits from grabbing land of STs and SCs, the Odisha government is planning to directly purchase land from needy people for which a corpus fund will be created, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said. Though there has been no such policy so far, Pujari on Thursday said. He that it is in the planning stage and to be implemented only after proper consultations with all the stakeholders including the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The minister said that though there is a ban on non-tribals or non-dalits purchasing land from adivasis and SCs, it is noticed that they acquire land by different means. According to the provisions of the Odisha Land Reforms (OLR) Act, 1960, land belonging to STs and SCs cannot be purchased by non-tribals and non-SCs without the approval of the sub-collector. The minister said that it is found that the needy tribals and dalits sell their lands to non-tribals for ...

Waqf law to benefit Muslims, will protect tribal lands: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has said the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not only benefit the deprived people belonging to the Muslim community but also protect the interests of tribal communities in the state by preventing land grabbing. He also hit out at the Congress accusing it of failing to introduce caste census despite being in power for 60 years. Waqf board was introduced with the objective of upliftment of economically backward and downtrodden women from the Muslim community and Pasmanda Muslim. However, it did not happen. "The influential people from the Muslim community took the Waqf properties on lease and set up big malls. The rich kept on becoming richer but the poor did not get any benefit, Sai said in an interview to PTI Videos. He said that amending the Waqf law was one of the bold decisions of the prime minister. "We would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, who has been taking many bold decisions. This is also one of them. With the introducti

Tribal groups call Centre's forest data to NGT 'false,' say it defies FRA

An umbrella group representing over 150 tribal and forest dwellers' organisations in the country said on Thursday that the central government's data on forest area encroachment, submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), is not authentic as it has yet to fully implement the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The Union Environment Ministry's response was not immediately available. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, recognises the rights of tribals and forest-dependent communities over the land they have lived on and protected for generations. However, its implementation has been marked by violations, with a large number of claims wrongly rejected. In 2019, while hearing a plea filed by a wildlife NGO, the Supreme Court ordered the eviction of over 17 lakh families whose FRA claims were rejected. Following nationwide protests, the court put the order on hold in February 2019 and directed a review of the rejected claims. However, many tribal and forest-dependent communities allege that the revi

Rahul Gandhi calls merit a flawed upper-caste idea, backs caste census

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the merit-based system in India, arguing that it does not take historical disadvantages faced by marginalised communities into account

Assam passes Bills allowing Guv to head autonomous councils if polls late

The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed amendment Bills related to seven autonomous councils, authorising the governor to take over the functioning of these bodies if holding of elections is found to be "impractical" even at the end of the mandated extended term of the elected committees. Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu, who introduced the Bills, said that there is a provision of extending the term of the elected councils running these bodies for a maximum of one year. "The problem will arise if elections cannot be held even after the end of the extended period. And hence, these amendment Bills have been brought," he said. The amendment Bills pertained to Mising Autonomous Council, Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council, Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council, Deori Autonomous Council, Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council and Tiwa Autonomous Council. The amendment states that if the governor is "satisfied that circumstances so exist which render holding

No progress on housing, roads, anganwadis under PM-JANMAN in WB: Centre

The Union tribal affairs ministry on Thursday said there had been no progress in West Bengal under PM JANMAN for housing, roads, Anganwadis and student hostels for PVTGs. The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), launched in November 2023, aims to provide basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water, education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, and livelihood opportunities to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) through 11 specific initiatives led by nine central ministries. PVTGs are characterised by pre-agricultural level of technology, stagnant or declining population growth, extremely low literacy and a subsistence level of economy. Responding to a question by BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durga Das Uikey told the Lok Sabha that one key initiative under PM JANMAN was setting up multi-purpose centres with full funding from the ministry. However, the West Bengal governm

Days after peace deal, senior Pak official injured in firing in Kurram

The Deputy Commissioner of northwest Pakistan's restive Kurram district was injured when assailants fired on his convoy on Saturday, days after a peace agreement was reached between two warring parties in the sectarian-violence-hit district. According to sources, the incident took place in the Kojalai Baba village near Bagan, when residents opened fire on military vehicles, injuring Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kurram Javedullah Mehsud and three security personnel. Mehsud was in the area to review arrangements for an aid convoy to take food items to the district after the main Peshawar-Sadda-Thall-Parachinar road's opening after 85 days of closure. Sources said that the firing took place during negotiations between government officials and the protestors who had blocked the main road. Mehsud was shot thrice and was rushed to a hospital in the Lower Alizai tehsil for treatment. Three protestors were also injured, official sources said. We suspect that local spoilers are involved in th

House panel flags fund lapses in scheme for vulnerable tribal groups

A parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern over the lack of funds disbursed to key states under the Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) scheme during 2022-23. No allocations were made to states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which have significant tribal populations, making the Committee to question how planned developmental work was carried out in the absence of resources. The parliamentary panel report on Social Justice and Empowerment for demand for grants by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs emphasised the need to avoid the pitfalls of previous programmes, citing underutilisation of allocated funds, delays in submission of utilisation certificates by states and procedural inefficiencies. The report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. "The Committee note that during the period 2020-21 to 2022-23, the budgetary allocation made under Development of particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVT

Death toll in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rises to 124 as gunbattle continues

Death toll in Khurram tribal sectarian violence rose to 124 with two more deaths on Saturday as a gunbattle continued between Shia and Sunni groups despite a ceasefire in Pakistan's northwestern Province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. More than 170 people have been injured in the sectarian violence raging for the last last ten days, authorities said. Province's governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday extended an offer to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to personally visit the disturbed area. Clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in the district started on November 22, after an attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed a day earlier. Several passengers who had sustained grave injuries succumbed later, taking the death toll to 57. At least 37 people have been killed and scores injured over the last two days alone in the violence that began in Bagan Bazaar area and spread to other parts such as Balishkhel, Khar, Kali, Junj Alizai, and Maqbal. The ...

Cong leader urges PM to visit Odisha's Kandhamal where 3 tribal women died

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipanka village in Kandhamala district where three tribal women died after consuming mango kernel gruel allegedly do to scarcity of food grain. The PM is on a three-day visit of Odisha from Friday, during which he will attend the All India DGP/IGP Conference. Jena had earlier led a Congress fact-finding team to Mandipanka village in Kandhamal district where the three tribal women died. He alleged that the people consumed mango kernel gruel for lack of foodgrains. "I humbly request you to dedicate one day to visiting Mandipanka village to witness first hand the harsh realities of how tribal people are living in complete neglect. This visit would highlight their struggles and underscore the urgent need for immediate action to address these issues," Jena said in a letter to the Prime Minister on Friday. The Congress leader said that after visiting the affected village, a delegat

Benefits of Central schemes not reaching landless tribals: Prez Murmu

The President had told the NITI Aayog to pave the way for providing lands and also enhanced financial allocation to the tribals