Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday said the state government will form a committee to study the demand of the delisting of the tribals who get dual benefit after converting to another religion.
The tribals who convert get benefits as members of a minority community and also as members of a Scheduled Tribe (ST), he said, speaking in the Legislative Council. Many tribals are being converted through coercion and inducement, the BJP leader claimed, adding that conversions hollow out the tribal culture. A committee headed by a retired vice chancellor will be formed to study the issue of delisting of the persons who get such dual benefit, Lodha, the minister for skill development and employment, stated, adding that it will have members from all political parties.
He was responding to a calling attention motion moved by BJP legislators Niranjan Davkhare and Pravin Darekar demanding removal from the ST list of the tribals who convert to Islam and Christianity, and the withdrawal of reservation benefit for them. The issue saw a heated argument between the BJP MLCs and Congress legislator Kapil Patil. Patil said the members of a Scheduled Tribe have the right to decide whom they should worship, and alleged that the proposed delisting will amount to religious discrimination. If the tribals embrace Hinduism, it becomes acceptable (to those who are seeking the delisting upon conversion), but if they embrace Islam, Christianity or Buddhism it is considered unacceptable, he said. Finally, Lodha said he will discuss the issue with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and inform the House.
