TRIBALS - 2012 - Indian Social Institute

well-known conservationist associated with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said at a seminar organised in
KCT college here on Saturday. Singh added that they have knowledge about the forests and wildlife and
can help preserve flora and fauna. Therefore, they must not be forced out of their homes, if these fall
inside forest reserves. Pointing at the initiatives of the ministry of forest and environment, Singh says the
tribals should be included in the conservation efforts of the government and not asked to relocate outside
the forests. "The tribals could work as watchmen and guides," he said. Commenting on the expertise of
the tribal people he said while the captive elephants in Kerala are known to have killed many mahouts, no
cases of elephants killing mahouts have been reported from Madumalai. This is because the tribal people
live with the elephants all their lives. This is significant when considering the fact the elephants in Kerala
are taken in chains, while these tribes take them relatively freely, he said. "The tribes understand the
animals," he said. Singh also said that several animals and plant species need to be encouraged in the
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. "The sambar deer is one species which has to be encouraged. They are a
good feed for the tigers. Rise in sambar deer population will help increase the tiger population. Barking
deer also need to be preserved," he added. There are some shrubs which are threatening the lives of the
animals. There are shrubs like the 'erect prickly pear' which are an invasive species and do not put a
control on the growth of grass and the green. "This reduces the shortage of food for the animals. This
must be removed in an aggressive basis, he said. He said some of the efforts of the government have
supported the wildlife. (Times of India 4/6/12)
Finally, nod to tribals rally under ex-CM (6)
Halol (Panchmahals),: After being denied permission twice, organisers have finally got the go-ahead of
local administration to hold a tribal rally under former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel at Kankoda Koi
village in tribal-dominated Panchmahals district on June 10. The organiser, Vanwasi Yuva Sangathan,
was given permission by the Ghogamba taluka authorities today. The rally was earlier scheduled for June
4 in Patel-dominated Ranjeet Nagar village, but the venue had to be shifted to a government wasteland at
Kankoda Koi, where permission was denied on security grounds. The organisers then shifted the venue
to a private land in the same village for which permission was granted. This is the first major tribal rally
being held under the leadership of Keshubhai in the run-up to the Assembly elections. It is expected to
draw around 15,000 tribals from nearby villages like Navakuan and Rajgadh Palla, organisers said. The
rally is being backed by Mahagujarta Janata Party floated by former BJP leader Gordhan Zadaphia.
Besides Keshubhai and Zadaphia, former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta, ex-minister Nalin Bhatt and other
office-bearers of MJP, including its Parliamentary Board head Fakirbhai Chauhan and regional general
secretary Jayakant Patel, are expected to attend the rally. “On May 25, the Gram Panchayat of Ranjeet
Nagar in Ganghola taluka had given us permission to hold the rally, but refused to entertain us a day after
under political pressure,” said Parbatbhai Damor, a member of Vanvasi Yuva Sangathan. The rally
assumes significance as it is being held on June 10, which will be the second day of BJP’s two-day state
executive meet in Rajkot. (Indian Express 7/6/12)
Chhattisgarh : 148 tribal boys from Naxalite areas crack AIEEE (6)
BHOPAL: Despite being constantly lured or threatened by the Maoists, 100-odd tribal students from the
Naxalite affected areas of Chhattisgarh got selected in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination
(AIEEE) through "Prayas", a special coaching initiative of the state's tribal welfare department. "It's a good
news for the state. 148 out of 222 tribal boys, mostly from Left Wing Extremism (LWE) districts, got
selected in AIEEE this year", Chhattisgarh government spokesman N Baijendra Kumar told TOI over
telephone after the results came in on Sunday morning. Earlier, two tribal students from the Naxalite
affected areas got selection to the IIT. "These students achieved the fete, despite being under constant
pressure from the Maoists", tribal department sources said. Chhattisgarh had launched a programme
titled "Prayas" in July 2010 under which meritorious students from the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)
districts and other tribal areas were kept in tribal hostels in the state capital and imparted coaching along
with the regular studies at the higher secondary level. Sources said the programme was initiated following
a visit of state's then chief secretary P Joy Ommen, along with tribal department officials, Bijapur district,
considered as a Maoist hotbed in the tribal Bastar region. The officers came across a school boy, who
had scored 95 % marks in the 11th class examination, at a village in Bijapur. During conversation, he told
the officers that he wanted to either become a Patwari or a compounder. "The aspirations level even of
meritorious students was so low. Subsequently, the government thought of launching a scheme like
"Prayas" to give such students an opportunity to aim high in life", a senior officer, who was associated
with the project said. Then, 266 meritorious tribal students were identified and picked up from the LWE
districts of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Sarguja and from naxalite affected areas of
Rajnandgaon. They were kept at a tribal hostel in the state capital and given special coaching. While 222