TRIBALS - 2012 - Indian Social Institute

district. Meanwhile, Kerala Adivasi Forum state president and tribal leader B V Bolan has said that CPM
has now launched the agitation to divert attention of masses from other issues. "If they were sincere, they
would have got land to tribals when they were in power," he said. He also alleged that though Rs 50 crore
has been earmarked by the Centre to address tribal issues, not even a paisa has been utilized. Political
parties have no interest in tribal welfare," he said. Incidentally, the forum, with the support of Adivasi
Congress, affiliated to the Congress, has organized the agitation at Cheeyambam 73 and Irulam
Cheeyambam. However, Bolan claims that the forum launched the stir independently. Currently nearly
12,000 tribal families have no land and a similar number live on just five cents of land or even less.
Sankaran said the demand is to provide sufficient land for farming which is central to the survival of
tribals. Interestingly, most of the tribals are not aware of what they are fighting for. "Leader (Sankaran)
told us that we would get land here for farming, so we have built the hut here," said Omana, a tribal
woman from Mananthavady. "Comrade Sankaran has told us not to vacate this land," said Mary, an
agitator from Kolathur in Pulpally. "Three years ago we were evicted out of this place though we fought for
a few months, but this time we will not leave the place till we are given land for farming," she said.Kannur:
In a curious turn of events, almost all political parties in Kerala have turned their attention towards the
adivasis in Wayanad even as the state is passing through a turbulent political situation. The new phase of
agitation, started by pro-CPM Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS) in the first week of May, has been taken up
by various organisations, including the CPI, Congress and the BJP, and the Kerala Adivasi Forum, which
is an independent organization. And now land agitation is going on in nearly 15 places in the district.
"Whoever be ruling the state, our demand is that every adivasi family should get at least one acre of land,
and till that demand is met, we will continue the struggle," said E A Sankaran, the state committee
member of Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS), a pro-CPM organisation, under the aegis of which one group of
around adivasi families have encroached the vested forestland at a few places in the district, including
Cheeyambam in Irulam village and Vanjot in Thondarnadu panchayath. In the coming days more places
would be occupied, he claims. However, the main focus is on the teak plantation in Cheeyambam, where
AKS claims to have brought more than 600 families. Totally more than 1500 families are part of the
agitation under AKS in various places, claims Sankaran though his rivals say this is an exaggerated
amount. Incidentally, AKS had launched an agitation in 2010 too and encroached the land occupied by M
V Sreyamskumar MLA. But it was called off following the intervention of the then Chief Minister V S
Achuthanandan. The CPM has now launched the land agitation to divert the attention of the people from
many other issues, says B V Bolan, a tribal leader and the state president of Kerala Adivasi Forum. If they
were sincere, they would have got the land to the adivasis when the LDF was in power, he points out.
"Though Rs 50 crore has been given by the central government for the settlements of tribal communities
here, not even a single paisa has been utilised out of it and our political parties have no interest in the
welfare of the adivasis," he alleges. Though the government and district administration have promised to
meet their demands in a couple of months, the Forum would not withdraw from the agitation till is meets
the goal, according to him. Incidentally, the Forum has organised the agitation at Cheeyambam 73 and
Irulam Cheeyambam with the support of the Adivasi Congress, affiliated to the Congress party. However,
he claims that the Forum launched the agitation independently and later the Adivasi Congress too started
agitation in the same place. (Times of India 20/5/12)
Tribal bodies pitch for ex-Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma (6)
JAMSHEDPUR: With two regional political parties, the Biju Janata Dal and the AIADMK, endorsing former
Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma for the President's chair, the tribal social outfits of the state are
pitching for his candidature. The outfits opined that Sangma, a tribal, has all the merits worthy of a
President of India, hence he should be endorsed by the political parties. "At a time when political parties
across the board are calling for empowerment of the tribals, we think it's an appropriate time to send a
good message to the tribal community by endorsing Sangma's candidature," said Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi
Mahasabha convener Mukesh Birua. An appeal for support to Sangma is being faxed to all political
parties, said Birua. The Kolhan Raksha Sangh, another tribal outfit, said when the Sikh community which
has about 20 million population in the country could represent it in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, what was
wrong in electing a tribal that has about 100 million population in the country. "Although we are identified
as the indigenous populace of India, ironically even 65 years after the Independence a tribal has never
been the first citizen of the country," said Kolhan Raksha Sangh convener K C Hembram. For decades
Hembram has been fighting for the empowerment of the tribals in the Saranda forest region of the
mineral-rich West Singhbhum district. "We hope the ruling parties (in the UPA II government) shall find
answer to these questions," said a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Ho Samaj. The tribal outfits are,
however, unanimous in saying that although they are seeking Sangma's endorsement, they are in
principle talking of "somebody from the tribal community" to be made the President. (Times of India