The Paharia people of Nuapada district reiterated their demand for inclusion in tribal list of Odisha by conducting a rally and demonstration at Khariar on Friday. Odisha Adivashi Kalyan Sangha supported the demands of the Paharia and expressed them solidarity in their fight.
Paharia widely known as Kamar is one of the PVTGs in Chhatishgarh and MP but was erroneously included in the list of OBC in Odisha.
“Both my parents are Paharias, but my mother belonging to a village in Chhatisgarh is an ST and my father, a resident of Kathphar village of Odisha, is an OBC,” said Paharia Vikash Manch secretary Sukal Sai Paharia.
The Paharias of Odisha enjoyed tribal status under British rule and as a result most of them owned lands due to the protected status they got from the British Government. land was unalienable without permission of the Government. But, unfortunately they lost status after independence.
The Odisha Government after adopting due procedures has already recommended for the inclusion of the Paharia community in ST list, but the proposal is still pending with the Central Government. “The Odisha Government has completed all the formalities required to bring the change in the Constitution (ST) order. Study on life and culture / ethnicity of the Paharia community has been done and the State level Tribes Advisory Committee has also approved the proposal. Now, it is pending with the Government of India for Parliament approval,” said Sukal.
The proposal for inclusion will need approval of the Registrar General of India (RGI) before being tabled in the Parliament. However, it is learnt that the proposal has not yet been sent to the RGI and the Central Cabinet is yet to take a decision in this regard, although an apex committee headed by the then Central Tribal Secretary Dr Hrushikesh Panda had recommended inclusion of Paharia community in tribal order of the Constitution.
Memorandums separately addressed to the President of India and the Prime Minister were submitted to the BDO, Khariar. BJP Kishan Morcha leader Sanjay Tiwari, Adivasi Kalyan Sangha president Balakrushna Sabar and other tribal leaders like Bhanupratap Singh Majhi, Biharilal Biswal, Hemsagar Majhi etc were present. Members of District Press Club Ajit Panda, Tapan Ranjan Dash and Motilal Bag were also present.