Massive tribal gathering in Delhi on May 24 BJP’s political stunt: Jharkhand Cong

At the grassroots level, the rights of the tribal communities are continuously being weakened.

The Jharkhand Congress on Friday alleged that the BJP is trying to gain political mileage by organising large tribal gatherings, while ''continuously violating'' the rights of these communities at the grassroots level.

Unemployment among the tribal youth has ''increased'', the quality of education and healthcare meant for them is ''dismal'', and those who raise their voice on such issues are being targeted with action, the state unit of the Congress asserted.

''By organising big events in the name of the tribals, the BJP is only trying to gain political mileage. At the grassroots level, the rights of the tribal communities are continuously being weakened. The tribal gathering in Delhi is just a political stunt,'' JPCC president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh told a press conference here.

Around 1.5 lakh people representing more than 550 tribal communities from across the country are expected to participate in a Janjati Sanskritik Samagam at the Red Fort grounds in Delhi on May 24 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary year of tribal icon Birsa Munda.

The event is being organised by the RSS-linked Janjati Suraksha Manch.

Congress MP Sukhdev Bhagat said that in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and other tribal-dominated regions of the country, their rights over water, forests, and land ''are being violated''.

''The Forest Rights Act, 2006, is being consistently weakened, while incidents of displacement are increasing, but the central government remains silent on these issues,'' Bhagat alleged.

''In such a situation, the Delhi gathering has been reduced to nothing more than an event management exercise,'' he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress MLA Rameshwar Oraon said the Delhi gathering was an attempt to ''divert attention'' from the real problems of the tribal society.

''Tribals have been the worst affected by deforestation, land acquisition, and the exploitation of natural resources, but the BJP government remains silent. The tribals no longer want just slogans but demand rights and respect,'' he asserted.