Swami Agnivesh on Saturday demanded that President Pranab Mukhrjee immediately convene a meeting of Governors of tribal-dominated States and review the progress of various tribal development programmes.
Speaking to reporters here, Agnivesh said no Governor has exercised powers conferred upon him to protect the rights of the tribals.
“The Constitution has given enormous powers to Governors to protect the rights of the tribals when they (rights) are trampled upon by the State Governments or the Centre or any legislature. However, no Governor has shown interest so far to act in accordance with constitutional provisions,” he lamented.
Agnivesh said although the provisions of Panchayat Extension to Schedule Area Act (PESA) of 1996 and Forest Rights Act of 2006 had deliberately been trampled upon in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, there have been no responses from Governors. .
“The Governors are guardians of the constitutional rights of the tribals. Any Governor or Governors if fail to protect these rights, must be taken into task or asked by the President to quit his or her post,” said the activist.
He also pleaded that the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution asking the State Governments to form Gram Sabhas and Autonomous Councils for Tribal Areas must be implemented in letter and spirit.
On Maoist issue, Agnivesh said the Government must be open to hold dialogues with the ultras instead of waging wars against them in which both rebels and security personnel were getting killed.
“When the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj evince interests to hold talks with Pakistan even after terrorist attack in Punjab’s Pathankot, why cannot the Centre and governments of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and other Maoist-hit states hold talks similar talks with the rebelsIJ” he asked.
He regretted that although he offered in recent past to mediate talks between Maoists and the Union government, the pitch was queered with killing of Maoists leaders in “cold blood.”
