Tribals tonsure their heads during protest in Maharashtra

During the protest, tribals tonsured their heads and displayed banners and placards denouncing the "insensitive" attitude of the state administration towards their plight, the outfit said. Their demands included giving forest rights to tribals, fulfilling their educational and medical needs and providing ration cards to all adivasi families, among others.

Tribal villagers on Tuesday tonsured their heads as part of a protest held in four districts of Maharashtra in support of their long-pending demands. The agitators also performed rituals for the dead tribal development department and Tribal Development Corp, whom they accused of ignoring them and not working for their welfare, said an NGO which organized the protest.

The NGO said the protest was held in talukas and outside the offices of Tribal Development Corp in four districts - Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Nashik. During the protest, tribals tonsured their heads and displayed banners and placards denouncing the "insensitive" attitude of the state administration towards their plight, the outfit said.

Their demands included giving forest rights to tribals, fulfilling their educational and medical needs, and providing ration cards to all Adivasi families, among others.