Promises. The word that has the ability to make or break a party’s hold over a region. The Indian National Congress recently released their manifesto for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and it is brimming with promises that most people want to hear.
Speaking at the press conference, former finance minister P Chidambaram and the head of the manifesto committee, said that the manifesto will set the narrative for the polls. “The BJP may be the ruling party today but the party is trying to take the narrative to five years back …to divisiveness and hyper nationalism….Our manifesto is focussed on real issues of jobs,” he said.
Here are some highlights of what the Congress claims it’ll undertake for the Adivasis and tribals of India, if they win this election.
FOR SC, ST And OBC
- Congress promises a holistic agenda of affirmative action for SCs, STs and OBCs who constitute a little more than 75 per cent of the population. Hence, Congress promises to set up an Equal Opportunities Commission, which will recommend affirmative action strategies and policies to achieve equality—and equity—in education, employment and in economic opportunities. We will implement the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission.
- They will pass a law to restore the original purpose and intent of the 200-point roster system and implement it for the institution as a whole.
- Congress promises to fill all backlog vacancies reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs in government, semi-government and central public sector organisations within 12 months.
- They will pass a law to require governments to transparently disclose in their budget documents the allocations to SCs and STs under the Special Component Plan for SCs and Tribal Sub-Plan for STs and to prohibit diversion of such funds.
For Forest Rights
- It will be our national mission to implement, in letter and spirit, the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and to secure for the Scheduled Tribes the rights guaranteed under the Act.
- Congress promises to remove the inconsistencies between the Forest Rights Act and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority Act, 2005 and to reaffirm the role of the Gram Sabha.
- We promise a time-bound review of all IFR/CFR claims rejected under the Forest Rights Act and disposal within 6 months. Meanwhile, we will stop the eviction of the 18.9 lakh households that face imminent eviction.
- We will establish a National Commission for Non-Timber Forest Produce and offer Minimum Support Prices for such produce to improve the livelihood and income of Adivasis.
For Denotified & Semi-Nomadic Tribes
- Congress promises a Special Census and the enumeration of Denotified and Semi-Nomadic Tribes and the integration of the data in the decennial census.
- We will examine the feasibility of providing compartmental reservation for Denotified and Semi-Nomadic Tribes as citizens belonging to socially and educationally Backward Classes.
- We will immediately repeal the Habitual Offenders Act, 1952 that has discriminated against and stigmatised Denotified and Semi-Nomadic Tribes and led to their harassment. 04. Congress will work with State Governments to impart education and skills to Denotified and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, especially the children, in order that they may find productive jobs and reap the benefits of economic development.
For North-Eastern States
- We will ensure that tea garden workers are paid wages and given other benefits in accordance with the laws applicable to them and according to the bilateral agreements.
- Congress will strengthen the North Eastern Council and take steps to expand and reinforce the original mandate of the Council.
For Religious And Linguistic Minorities
- Congress promises to support the promotion of all the languages of our country including languages not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. We will encourage, as far as possible, the use of such languages, including the languages of Scheduled Tribes and Nomadic Tribes, in the administration of areas where such languages are widely spoken by the people.
- Congress supports the principle that school education is best imparted in the mother tongue of the child and promises to support the efforts of State Governments to promote the use of the mother tongue as the preferred medium of instruction.
For Local Self- Governments
- Congress promises to take further measures to strengthen the concept of Local Government—Panchayats and Municipalities.
*All the above statements are direct quotes from the Manifesto.
In Chhattisgarh, MP, and Rajasthan, the states where the Indian National Congress is in power, we have seen some developments which align with this manifesto, but we have also seen actions similar to the BJP government. They are promising a lot of reforms and implementation of existing policies with regards to Adivasis and tribals and the manifesto is comprehensive and appealing to someone who believes in the idea of a progressive, secular and egalitarian nation. However, they have also been responsible for a majority of the violations of Adivasi rights over the years and a lot of their earlier promises remain unfulfilled. It is high time that political parties dedicate effort to actually implementing and fulfilling their proposed promises, along with the resources they pour into image building.
