Tribals plan separate political entity

The leaders decided to undertake tours in tribal areas of the State and conduct regional meetings at Nagpur on June 20, at Pune on July 4 and Thane on July 11. After the tours and the meetings, a formal meeting will be held in Mumbai on July 24, when the party is expected to be formally floated. The tribal leaders have decided to involve tribals as well as non-tribals involved in tribal welfare inthe creation of the political entity. By June 24 the party8217;s constitution and other formalities, including its name, would be completed.

All the speakers in the meeting held here on Saturday, unanimously agreed to set up the party exclusively for tribal upliftment, pointing out that all existing parties had failed in rendering justice to the natives. Even Pawar who had been dropped from the State cabinet when Narayan Rane became the Chief Minister stated that funds earmarked for tribal welfare were diverted elsewhere and that existing parties were rendering only lip service to the tribals.

While speaking on the agenda of the party, speakers, including Raut, stressed the need for autonomous councils on the lines of those existing in the North-Eastern states and even a separate tribal state in the tribal belt on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border from Thane to Dhule and another one in eastern Maharashtra bordering Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Another major factor discussed at the meeting was theeconomic upliftment of tribals. Ganubhau Wase and Shrinivas Dangat, who are instrumental in promoting the Kukadeshwar Adivasi Hirda Audhyogik Sahakari Sanstha a cooperative industrial estate of tribals in Junnar Pune district revealed that a unit worth Rs 44 lakh to process Ritha8217; a vital component in herbal shampoos was being set up to usher in an era of economic welfare of tribals by tribals themselves. The case was cited as a forerunner for a movement for economic development of tribals. The speakers also stressed the need to involve educated tribals who were in government jobs, in the process of tribal upliftment.

The current political situation in State was also discussed and the leaders felt that in due course tribal leaders active in conventional political parties would finally realise the importance of a separate tribal entity and join it. In Maharashtra, there are 21 constituencies reserved for tribals. Of the 21 MLAs seven have been elected on Congress ticket, five on BJP ticket, threeShiv Sena, one CPM and five Independents. For the Lok Sabha, four constituencies Dahanu, Malegaon, Dhule and Nandurbar are reserved for tribals. According to the 1991 census, the tribal population in the State was 73.18 lakh 9.27 per cent scattered over 13 districts.

Freedom fighter Dadasaheb Bidkar who runs educational institutions for tribals, Waharu Sonawane, Chhayatai Suratwanti, Shankar Maraskolhe and Vikram Gaikwad also spoke in Saturday8217;s meeting.