The tribal people of the Schedule V area States like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh etc are far worse than the tribal of Schedule VI including the North-Eastern States. This is because the tribal communities of those States have got better autonomy over governance, resources and also dispensation of justice through provisions of Schedule VI, said Prof Virginius Xaxa, chairman of the Central Government appointed high-level technical committee on status of tribal communities in India
He further called for a need to strengthen the PESA and Forest Rights Act. Prof Xaxa said that tribal wellbeing in Schedule V areas needs to be relooked and broadened and provisions of Schedule VI areas also need to be followed in Schedule VI areas.
Constitution has given a lot of scope for tribal wellbeing in Schedule V areas too. But vested interests are not letting tribal wellbeing to happen in true spirit. The Governors are custodian of Schedule V areas and have got the authority and mandate to ensure tribal welfare and programmes. But they are hardly playing any active role, he said.
Giving a solution, Prof Xaxa said that PESA has to rise beyond village level and into the block, district and regional levels. There has to be autonomous councils at different levels.
Citing numerous examples from different parts of Odisha, MlA George Tirkey cited numerous instances said that tribal areas are being subjected to rapid unfair changes through illegal administration, urbanisations, land acquisition and displacements.
Saying that the Constitution of India does not allow any other Government in schedule areas than the local Governments, he gave a call for ‘Our Village, Our Government’.
Dr Usha Ramanathan, another member of the committee said that tribal people have got some tools against victimisation after enactment of Acts such as PESA and FRA. But the Government and especially people in the forest department are still trying with newer means to capture more land and to bar tribal people from accessing forest land and forest resources.
The consultation will continue till Saturday. About 150 people from different parts of Odisha are participating the meeting jointly organised by a number of voluntary organisations and tribal organisations and coordinated by National Centre for Advocacy Studies.