This is an archive article published on August 11, 2024
Chhattisgarh BJP CM faces firestorm for skipping tribal celebrations as Congress alleges ‘RSS pressure’
Attacking Vishnu Deo Sai, ex-CM Baghel links his move to Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram’s stance; Sarva Adivasi Samaj head Arvind Netam says it sent “a wrong message” to tribals
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s last-minute move not to attend a tribal event in Raipuron Friday, which was organised by the Sarva Adivasi Samaj (SAS) — an umbrella organisation of tribal groups in the state — to mark the International Day of World’s Indigenous People, has drawn fire from the principal Opposition Congress.
The Congress has alleged that Sai “boycotted” the tribal event “at the behest of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)”. CM Sai was the chief guest at the event, which he was supposed to attend as per his official schedule of the day. He, however, skipped it and instead headed to the Bemetara district to pay his condolences to the family of Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao’s sister whose son had died recently. Another tribal event scheduled for the day — an inauguration by tribal affairs minister Ramvichar Netam — was also deferred.
In a statement, senior Congress leader and former CM Bhupesh Baghel hit out at Sai and Netam.
Baghel said, “The distinct tribal cultural identity always pricked the RSS and hence they opposed it. Due to this recognition, the Congress government had declared World Tribal Day a holiday.”
He went on to cite a statement that was issued by the Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (All India Forest Dweller Welfare Ashram), an RSS-affiliated organisation, on Friday.
In its statement, the Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram said that India has “no link” to the World Indigenous People’s Day “because we believe that all citizens living in India are natives of this country”. The body also called the celebrations of this day “a conspiracy by some international powers and Christian missionaries”. Baghel claimed that this reasoning was behind Sai’s absence from the SAS event.
At a press conference on Saturday, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij, who is a tribal leader from Bastar, reiterated Baghel’s stance.
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Hitting back at Baghel, Netam said the Congress was “manipulating tribals”. “Our government is doing far better than them for tribals. We will celebrate Lord Birsa Munda ji’s birth anniversary with great fanfare in the entire country including Chhattisgarh and will evoke self-respect in tribals,” he said.
The SAS is led by Arvind Netam, a former Union minister, who floated the Hamar Raj party ahead of the November 2023 Assembly elections.
Despite Arvind’s political leanings, the SAS is considered to be a broad-based tribal platform comprising leaders from various parties. Its event on Friday, for example, saw the participation of senior tribal leader Nandkumar Sai who left the BJP last year to join the Congress. Addressing the
event, Nandkumar criticised the recent Supreme Court verdict on sub-classification of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) — an issue that is gaining traction among the SAS leaders.
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About CM Sai skipping the event, Arvind told The Indian Express: “I have full sympathy with Sai and Ramvichar Netam. I feel they are helpless. They should have either stayed away from the event, but they could not take a firm stand. This shows the switch is either with Nagpur (where RSS headquarters are located) or Delhi (central government). Socially, a wrong message was sent in the tribal community across the state after they neglected it (the event). Their image will be affected though I feel they are innocent. It is better to ask them why they skipped it.”
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
