Govt pretending as well-wisher of tribals: Cong

Raipur, August 06, 2012

Congress has alleged that the government was pretending as well-wisher of tribals. “The government has never taken any positive step for the upliftment of tribal community. It should stop giving empty statements and do some concrete work for development of tribals,” said chief Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.

“The glaring example of the ruling BJP’s is the repressive police action against peacefully agitating innocent tribals at capital city a couple of months back. The police lathicharged on innocent tribals when they took out rally at Raipur with their demand to provide the Constitutional rights they deserve. The police even put the old tribal leaders behind the bars on false criminal charges,” he said.

“The tribals under eight years of Raman Singh-government feel insecure due to rise in naxal violence. IN fact, the government does not exist in Bastar. Development has halted in the region and the poor tribals are compelled to migrate in search of employment,” he added.

“Similarly, over 10000 tribal girls are missing from the state but the government has not taken any initiative to search them. Moreover, it has snatched democratic rights of the public representatives in panchayats and civic bodies of Bastar. The government is even targeting innocent tribals on pretext of naxals,” he charged.

He said the government did not really want to give 32% reservation to the tribals. “While the government curtailed SC quota to 12% and announced 14% for backward class besides 32% for ST, it was well aware that total quota should not exceed 50%. Still, it tried to deceive tribals. The government has made the quota system vague and complicated,” he said.