The political war lines are drawn and India is up for one of the fiercest political battle ever fought. The 2019 general elections are anything but a regular election. The Congress President Rahul Gandhi has urged people to “vote for the soul of India” and the ruling BJP led by PM Narendra Modi is leaving no stone unturned to project itself as the only option available for the sustenance and growth of India. The regional parties have their shares in areas of dominance and look prepared to take the largest bite possible, for they know it well that a coalition government is no longer a distant dream.
Promises have been made and manifestos released. Both the national parties have made a slew of freebies available if voted to power. An effort has been made to include something for every section of the society with an aim to draw and consolidate as many votes as possible.
In all this loud chest thumping, syrup of nationalism and a promise of a better life in smart cities, what the manifestoes missed is a section of voters who could be called India’s aborigine- the tribal population. The Constitution of India under Schedule 5 recognize tribal population but ironically, our political parties don’t.
The Sankalp Patra, which is the BJP’s manifesto runs into 40 long pages but fails to mention any promise for the tribes. The Congress, on its part, fairs better and has promised to introduce “Equal Opportunities Commission” which would help in achieving equity and equality in Education, Employment and in Economic opportunities.
Most tribes in India dwell in areas of rich natural resources and therefore are at constant war with rich industrialists who are eying their lands. The fight for “Jal, Jungle aur Jameen” (Water, Forest, and land) has seen many brutalities in the tribal belts. The struggle of Indian tribes is no longer unknown. It has been documented and served on international platforms.
The struggle of Dongria Kondh, a tribe in the Eastern State of Odisha, brings the spotlight back on the plight of these tribes, yet we do not find any mention of them in the manifestos. The small tribe of Dongria Kondh consisting of roughly 8000 individuals has been up against bauxite giant Vedanta Resources which wants to dig out Bauxite from their sacred mountain of Niyamgiri. The tribe is fighting back to protect what they believe is their God.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made two trips to Niyamgiri in 2008 and 2010 and promised to stand by their side in their struggle against the mining giant. He promised to take their voices to New Delhi and also be their “sepoy”. The visit gave the tribe media attention and they managed to win the battle for once. But that is not a happy end to their story.
The Dongria Kondh struggles for clean water. Their source of clean water has been laden with waste from factories set up by Vedanta Resources in another nearby village. The 2014 manifesto of parties did offer them clean water but nothing changed and the promise remained only on paper. The tribe also faces the problem of connectivity to health centers. In the absence of motorable roads, the tribe is forced to carry sick people on slings to hospitals.
Far up in the North, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, resides the nomadic Gujjar Bakerwal tribe. A tribe with a unique history of migration and lifestyle but they only time they managed to get media attention was in the year 2018 when an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl named Asifa was kidnapped, held hostage, drugged gang raped repeatedly, mutilated and killed.
The incident shocked the conscience of the nation and occupied the Prime Time for a few days. But like all tragedies, it has been forgotten. The family of the girl struggles to find justice and also a safe place to live.
Nomadic tribes in India are not rare. There are quite a few in Central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and also in the State of Odisha, parts of the North Eastern States and Kashmir. These tribes face unprecedented violence, rape, abduction of young girls and forced labor. The governments in the past have made efforts to mainstream these tribes but a lot remains to be done. Sadly, no political party sees them as a strong vote bank and therefore they do not find a mention in the manifesto.
The Jarawas, another uncontacted tribe in the island of South Andaman were recently in news for killing a foreigner who sneaked up the island sans permission
There are over 600 recognized Schedule tribes in India and the problem for most of them are of basic in nature. The struggle is for clean water, health, safe shelter, education and protection from atrocities of forced labour and trafficking.
At a time when India aims to be the world superpower, it is a shame that sections of our society and community struggle for something as basic as clean drinking water and access to hospitals and health centers.
The apathy of Political parties stems from the fact that these tribes are small in number when counted as vote banks. Their votes do not amplify the winning probability of a candidate and hence do not warrant a space in the manifesto.
But like all darkness, there is a silver lining that I see in this general election. I see local leaders rising up within these communities. The BSP has fielded 30-year-old Jitendra Jakaka from Dongria Kondh community as its candidate from Rayagada assembly and this could just be the beginning of mainstreaming the tribes.