Focus on tribal rights at Gandhinagar convention marking Indigenous Peoples Day
Updated: Sep 13th, 2024
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| World’s Indigenous Peoples Day |
Gujarat’s tribal communities marked International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples with a convention at Ram Katha Maidan in Gandhinagar’s Sector 11 today.
About 3,000 attendees were expected to raise concerns about fake tribal certificates, land rights, unemployment, and infringement of tribal rights. The event also focused on issues related to education, health, and inadequate provision of roads and transport in tribal areas.
Other key points on the agenda included:
- Pending forest land claims
- Displacement of tribal groups in the name of development
- Strict implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, both of which are meant to promote the well-being of Adivasi groups.
- Raising the income limit from ₹2.50 lakh to ₹6 lakh
Youth leader Yuvrajsinh Jadeja and MLA Chaitar Vasava, speaking at the convention, emphasized the rich history of the people, marked by centuries of struggle and triumph. “We have a legacy of warriors and victories spanning thousands of years, with our blood shed in the fight for independence.” They also highlighted the ongoing challenges for their communities. “Despite Schedule 5 being in place, we still struggle with basic needs like access to teachers in schools, clean drinking water, healthcare, and education in our localities.”
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is commemorated each year on Sep 13, to mark the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007.
Globally, there are more than 5,000 tribal groups, with a total population amounting to about 37 crore. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is meant to highlight the issues of these original inhabitants of the land across the world.
In India, tribal societies continue to face challenges of poverty and rights deprivation despite constitutional provisions. As the convention unfolds, it highlights the ongoing struggle for tribal rights and representation in Gujarat and beyond.
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