Flag of the Indian National Congress.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Adivasi wing of Congress on Monday demanded an increase in the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on the basis of increase in their numbers, quota in higher judiciary and minimum support price for 13 minor forest products.
The demands were part of a resolution passed at a meeting here of the National Executive of All India Adivasi Congress chaired by its Chairman Shivajirao Moghe. The meeting also prepared a strategy for fighting the upcoming Assembly polls and rally tribals around the Congress.
Demanding an increase in “political reservation”, the Adivasi Congress said the political reservation for Dalits and tribals should be increased by 2 per cent at national level and in states as per increase in their population. It also demanded tribal quota in Goa Assembly.
The resolution also found fault with Narendra Modi government’s National Monetisation Programme, accusing it of selling public assets to “crony friends”, which leads to "reducing reservation for SCs and STs that increases unemployment". It demanded that public undertakings should not be sold to private parties and that the quota regime is secured.
Amid surging cases of people using fake caste certificates to usurp benefits of affirmative action policies meant for Dalits and tribals, the Adivasi Congress demanded that such certificates should be cancelled and rightful share of tribals should be given to them.
Referring to the existence of 28 regiments in the Indian Army with caste and state names, it also wanted an ‘Adivasi Regiment’.
Recalling the T Haque Committee’s recommendations on ‘Strategic Government Intervention’ in the form of MSP for 13 minor forest products, it demanded that a separate Price Commission on MFP be constituted to render "justice" to Minor Forest Producers.
On Judiciary, the resolution sought the implementation of the Kariya Munda Commission report, which wanted the setting up of Indian Judiciary Services to ensure equal representation of SCs/STs in Judicial services at the Supreme Court and high court levels.
“It is extremely shameful for India that among the 33 Supreme Court judges, there is not a single Adivasi judge in the top court,” it said.
Accusing the BJP governments in states of diluting laws related to Adivasis, it demanded strong implementation of the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996, Forest Right Act 2006, Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 and the 5th Schedule of the Constitution.
It also advocated the need for targeted schemes for the welfare and empowerment of tribal women across India. Annual funds should be allocated under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) to these schemes, and the government should undertake strict monitoring of implementation so that the funds do not lapse like other targeted schemes for SCs/STs, it said.
The Adivasi Congress also urged the government to recognize ‘International Day of the World Indigenous People’ on August 9.