News Analysis India

Tag: Gond community

  • Rajya Sabha okays bill to include Gond community in ST category in parts of UP 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to include the Gond community in the Scheduled Tribes category in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

    The Rajya Sabha passed by a voice vote the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, with some amendments.

    The bill was introduced by Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday.

    Replying to the discussion on the bill, Munda said the issue has been pending since 1980s and blamed the then Congress-led government for ignoring the plight of the community and denying them their constitutional rights through Schedule Tribes category.

    Munda also moved amendments in the bill, which will again go to the Lok Sabha for its nod.

    The bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha in April this year.

    The bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967 (ST Order) and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 (SC Order) with respect to its application to Uttar Pradesh.

    It seeks to amend the Scheduled Castes order to exclude the Gond community as a Scheduled Caste in four districts of Uttar Pradesh: Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Sant Ravidas Nagar.

    It seeks to amend the ST order to recognise the Gond community as a Scheduled Tribe in these four districts.

    The minister said the Uttar Pradesh government had written a letter related to the Gond community on April 22, 1981 stating that on the basis of their lifestyle, culture and from every aspects, they exhibited characters of scheduled tribe.

    He added that in those days, the Gond community was included under STs in other states.

    The minister rued that the issue has remained unresolved till now with the people of the community unable to raise their voice at the Centre.

    He also lamented that the then government did not implement the recommendations of the Lokur Committee for the uplift of tribals, keeping in mind their culture, lifestyle, closeness to nature and backwardness, and give them their constitutional rights.

    As a result, he said the country is facing the issue of tribals being left behind in the growth and development witnessed by India.

    The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the betterment of tribals in the last eight years and would continue to do so, Munda said.

    Taking a dig at the Opposition over their attitude towards tribals, Munda said if they had cared, the first woman President from tribal community Droupadi Murmu would have been elected to the top constitutional post unanimously and now some of them have even started criticising her as well.

    NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to include the Gond community in the Scheduled Tribes category in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

    The Rajya Sabha passed by a voice vote the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, with some amendments.

    The bill was introduced by Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday.

    Replying to the discussion on the bill, Munda said the issue has been pending since 1980s and blamed the then Congress-led government for ignoring the plight of the community and denying them their constitutional rights through Schedule Tribes category.

    Munda also moved amendments in the bill, which will again go to the Lok Sabha for its nod.

    The bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha in April this year.

    The bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967 (ST Order) and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 (SC Order) with respect to its application to Uttar Pradesh.

    It seeks to amend the Scheduled Castes order to exclude the Gond community as a Scheduled Caste in four districts of Uttar Pradesh: Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Sant Ravidas Nagar.

    It seeks to amend the ST order to recognise the Gond community as a Scheduled Tribe in these four districts.

    The minister said the Uttar Pradesh government had written a letter related to the Gond community on April 22, 1981 stating that on the basis of their lifestyle, culture and from every aspects, they exhibited characters of scheduled tribe.

    He added that in those days, the Gond community was included under STs in other states.

    The minister rued that the issue has remained unresolved till now with the people of the community unable to raise their voice at the Centre.

    He also lamented that the then government did not implement the recommendations of the Lokur Committee for the uplift of tribals, keeping in mind their culture, lifestyle, closeness to nature and backwardness, and give them their constitutional rights.

    As a result, he said the country is facing the issue of tribals being left behind in the growth and development witnessed by India.

    The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the betterment of tribals in the last eight years and would continue to do so, Munda said.

    Taking a dig at the Opposition over their attitude towards tribals, Munda said if they had cared, the first woman President from tribal community Droupadi Murmu would have been elected to the top constitutional post unanimously and now some of them have even started criticising her as well.

  • Rajya Sabha members support bill to include Gonds in UP in Scheduled Tribes list

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Cutting across party lines, Rajya Sabha members on Tuesday largely supported a bill for recognising the Gond community hailing from four districts of Uttar Pradesh as a Scheduled Tribe after excluding them from the Scheduled Castes list.

    The four districts are Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sant Ravidas Nagar.

    Some opposition members also demanded a similar review of more communities for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list and a caste-based census in the country during the debate on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022.

    The Bill was moved by Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda.

    Lok Sabha has already passed the bill which amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967 to exclude the Gond community as a Scheduled Caste and amends the ST order to recognise it as a Scheduled Tribe in the four districts.

    During the debate, Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD said the government should go for a caste-based census and in the meanwhile also implement 52 per cent reservation for the backward communities.

    CPI Member Santhosh Kumar P said there is a need to take up the welfare of the tribals and the backward communities seriously.

    While supporting a caste-based census, he also asked the government to look into the welfare of denotified tribes.

    Samir Oraon (BJP) said that due to the efforts of the present government, the backward classes were moving ahead.

    He alleged that the previous governments never cared for them and it is only the BJP government that is working for the welfare of such communities.

    L Hanumanthaiah of the Congress Party said he supports the bill and the government should look into the status of some more communities from the Scheduled Castes list across the country.

    He also said there is a need to provide more protection to the people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

    Citing some recent cases of violence against members of the Scheduled Castes community in Uttar Pradesh, he said:” Unless they take some measures, just passing a law will not solve the problem.”

    Hanumanthaiah also demanded a caste-based census in the country.

    According to Hanumanthaiah, the reported crimes against Scheduled Tribes were 8,272 in 2020 and increased to 8,802 in 2021, and he asked the government to look into it.

    “If you do not protect them, strengthen them by the budgetary allocation, then what is the point in the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes then only this law would have some meaning,” he said.

    Fauzia Khan of the NCP supported the bill and demanded the Dhankhad community from Maharashtra be added to the Scheduled Tribes list.

    Jayant Chaudhary demanded that the Kol community from UP be accorded the Schedules Caste status.

    He also supported a caste-based census.

    G K Vasan from TMC (M) supported the bill and asked the government to add the Narikuravar community from Tamil Nadu to the Scheduled Tribes list.

    BJP members – Jugalsinh Lokhandwala, Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Brijlal, Sakal Deep Rajbhar, Vinay Dinu Tendulkar and Biplab Kumar Deb – also supported the bill.

    The Minister would reply to the bill on Wednesday.

    NEW DELHI: Cutting across party lines, Rajya Sabha members on Tuesday largely supported a bill for recognising the Gond community hailing from four districts of Uttar Pradesh as a Scheduled Tribe after excluding them from the Scheduled Castes list.

    The four districts are Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sant Ravidas Nagar.

    Some opposition members also demanded a similar review of more communities for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list and a caste-based census in the country during the debate on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022.

    The Bill was moved by Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda.

    Lok Sabha has already passed the bill which amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967 to exclude the Gond community as a Scheduled Caste and amends the ST order to recognise it as a Scheduled Tribe in the four districts.

    During the debate, Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD said the government should go for a caste-based census and in the meanwhile also implement 52 per cent reservation for the backward communities.

    CPI Member Santhosh Kumar P said there is a need to take up the welfare of the tribals and the backward communities seriously.

    While supporting a caste-based census, he also asked the government to look into the welfare of denotified tribes.

    Samir Oraon (BJP) said that due to the efforts of the present government, the backward classes were moving ahead.

    He alleged that the previous governments never cared for them and it is only the BJP government that is working for the welfare of such communities.

    L Hanumanthaiah of the Congress Party said he supports the bill and the government should look into the status of some more communities from the Scheduled Castes list across the country.

    He also said there is a need to provide more protection to the people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

    Citing some recent cases of violence against members of the Scheduled Castes community in Uttar Pradesh, he said:” Unless they take some measures, just passing a law will not solve the problem.”

    Hanumanthaiah also demanded a caste-based census in the country.

    According to Hanumanthaiah, the reported crimes against Scheduled Tribes were 8,272 in 2020 and increased to 8,802 in 2021, and he asked the government to look into it.

    “If you do not protect them, strengthen them by the budgetary allocation, then what is the point in the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes then only this law would have some meaning,” he said.

    Fauzia Khan of the NCP supported the bill and demanded the Dhankhad community from Maharashtra be added to the Scheduled Tribes list.

    Jayant Chaudhary demanded that the Kol community from UP be accorded the Schedules Caste status.

    He also supported a caste-based census.

    G K Vasan from TMC (M) supported the bill and asked the government to add the Narikuravar community from Tamil Nadu to the Scheduled Tribes list.

    BJP members – Jugalsinh Lokhandwala, Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Brijlal, Sakal Deep Rajbhar, Vinay Dinu Tendulkar and Biplab Kumar Deb – also supported the bill.

    The Minister would reply to the bill on Wednesday.