Adivasi is a name for “original people” of the land and not some vague minority. A Telegraph file picture

The author has raised a fundamental question that needs to be appreciated in Jharkhand. The Constitution of India, argues the author, did not provide special protection and privileges for scheduled castes and tribes because tribals or the SC were in a majority.

The provisions were meant to protect them against the onslaught of the ?mainstream?. By seeking de-reservation of posts even in scheduled areas, the ?mainstream? now seeks to swamp the tribals?something that the Constitution did not envisage. Allowing the ?mainstream? to reduce tribals to a minority in scheduled areas is serious enough; and now depriving them of Constitutional protection, he argues, will be disastrous. )

The Jharkhand Government has of late started a numbers-game against the Adivasi people to benefit the non-Adivasis in the state.

It is encouraging the non-tribal sections of society to claim separate reservation quota for themselves.

This game is based on the alleged decrease in Adivasi population in comparison to non-Adivasis in the scheduled areas.

Dereservation

The Jharkhand government has decided to dereserve the post of mukhiyas in all those gram panchayats in the Scheduled Areas where the population of Scheduled Tribes is below 40 per cent.

As things stand, all the posts of gram panchayat mukhiyas in the Scheduled Areas are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes as per the provisions of the ?panchayats?, (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996.

This is being done to woo the non-STs in view of forthcoming Assembly election, which is likely to be held sooner than later.

Amend act

The state government has requested the Central Government to amend the PESA Act of 1996 in order to facilitate the above changes. The efforts betray a completely mistaken understanding of the concept and philosophy behind ?Scheduled Areas?, and ?Scheduled Tribes?.

The founding fathers of the Indian Constitution were not guided by numbers (majority /minority) when they formulated the Fifth & Sixth Schedules.

Not how many they are, but how they are. The founding fathers looked at a people who were the original inhabitants (Adi-vasi) and who have preserved up to now some clear ethnic characteristics which distinguish them from the rest of the population.

Some of these characteristics are: commonality, equality, cooperation, consensus decision making, closeness to nature.

They have also practised a unique type of self-rule based on their traditional system and leadership.

The five principles spelt out in 1952, known as Nehruvian Panchsheel are:

1. Tribals should be allowed to develop according to their own genius.

2. Tribals? rights in land and forest should be respected.

3. Tribal teams should be trained to undertake administration and development without too many outsiders being inducted.

4. Tribal development should be undertaken without disturbing tribal social and cultural institutions

5. The index of tribal development should be the quality of their life and not the money spent

It is important to note that the number or the population-ratio of the tribals or the Adivasis in relation to non-adivasis is not the factor behind bestowing special consideration and protection for tribals and the Adivasis.

But sadly enough, the above Nehruvian principles have been thrown to the wind by different central & state governments during the past five decades.

And now the unkindest cut of all comes when the Jharkhand government is bent up on slashing even the few protective measures granted to the tribes and the Adivasi people of Jharkhand.

This move by the present NDA government of Jharkhand must be resisted at all costs.

The different political parties, except one or two Jharkhandi outfits, have not expressed their disagreement with the government?s move.

And the reason for it is obvious, they do not want to alienate the non-tribal vote bank when election to panchayats is round the corner.

It will then be the task of Jharkhandi people?s movements and Jharkhandi people?s organisations to rise up to the occasion and defeat these attempts of the BJP-led government.