BJP's Gajendra Singh Patel accuses Congress of denying tribals their rights, in Indore

BJP national general secretary Gajendra Singh Patel raised questions about Naxalism, religious conversion and the rights of the tribal community, targeting the Congress, in Indore. He was speaking at a press conference called at the BJP office on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

Patel said effective steps had been taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to establish peace and security in the country. He alleged that some organisations and agencies were misleading the tribal community and inciting conversion. According to him, the BJP is against conversion carried out by force or inducement, and laws to stop it have been made in the states where the party is in government.

Patel called Naxalism a major obstacle to the country's development. He said it had taken root in several states, including Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. According to Patel, the Prime Minister believes the country can develop only when there is an atmosphere of peace and security, and the Union government is acting against Naxalism in that direction.

Questioning Congress rule, Patel said special provisions had been made in the Constitution after Independence to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes, but the Congress did not implement them properly in its roughly 60 years in power. He said laws were made during British rule to remove tribals from forests and limit their rights. Forest resources served big industries and business, he said, but tribal families dependent on the forest did not get a fair share of the benefit. As an example, he named the forests of Jabalpur and the surrounding area, saying timber from there was used by big industries and business.

Patel asked the Congress how many tribals had been given land titles under the Forest Rights Act and what had been done to secure their rights. He said the Congress should account for its time in power.

Detailing the Modi government's schemes, Patel said many schemes for tribal development began after Narendra Modi's government came to power in 2014. He said that under the PM JANMAN scheme, pucca houses, roads, electricity and drinking water were being provided to settlements of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). Under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, the aim is to take the benefits of development schemes to about 63,000 tribal-majority villages and to benefit more than five crore tribal people. Patel said tribal families were receiving health services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and a campaign was under way to prevent and eliminate sickle cell anaemia, with a target of ending the disease by 2047.

Patel cited President Droupadi Murmu as an example of the change in the respect and participation accorded to the tribal community. He said it was a matter of pride for the entire community that a woman from a tribal family in Odisha had reached the country's highest constitutional office. He also said efforts were being made to advance the tribal community in education, health, employment and political participation.

Patel said Bhagwan Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on November 15 would be observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. The BJP, its Janjati Morcha and party workers will hold programmes across the state. Events will be held at places including Kukshi, Dhar and Khandwa, and programmes will also be organised in all Assembly constituencies. In the evening, lamps will be lit in remembrance of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. On November 17 and 18, programmes will be held in hostels, where students will be told about Birsa Munda's struggle, the tribal community's contribution to the freedom struggle and the Union government's schemes.

Patel said Bhagwan Birsa Munda fought the British to protect forests, land and tribal culture. The aim of observing Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is to acquaint the new generation with this proud history.