In Barwani district, 350-km south from state capital Bhopal, a group of tribals – men and women – gathered near the old collectorate. Holding placards, banners and with hard-hitting slogans, they protested against the ongoing violence in Manipur and demanded peace. They also burnt the effigy of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and took out his ShavYatra.

Almost 500-km away from Barwani, in Seoni district, the community carried out a procession under the banner of Serv Adivasi Samaj opposing the Manipur violence and slammed the government’s “anti-tribal policies”.

“Even after months, the powerful Prime Minister and Home Minister failed to restore peace in Manipur. The violence against tribals continues unabated. Instead of debating and chalking out a plan to restore peace, the PM is mocking the Opposition in Parliament,” said Sumer Singh Badole, a youth tribal leader, addressing protesters in Barwani.

“Would he have cracked a similar joke if areas dominated by the upper castes were subjected to the ethnic violence?” he asked.

Badole, who is associated with Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) held half a dozen such rallies in tribal-dominated districts, such as Khargone, Dhar and Barwani against Manipur violence and other anti-tribal policies in the past two months.

Voices against the ongoing Manipur violence, atrocities on tribals in the state and the anti-tribal policies of the government are becoming louder in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

This became evident on World Tribal Day when dozens of rallies, marches and protests were held across tribal hamlets of the state, instead of celebrating the Day.

Like Barwani and Seoni, protests were also carried out in various pockets of Madhya Pradesh, including Dhar, Betul, Khargone, Burhanpur and in Mahakaushal region in Mandla, Dindori, Anuppur among others.

“World Tribal Day is not just to celebrate, dance or cherish tribal culture but to be aware, educate and unite, as the government is not only taking away tribal rights but also our forests,” said a youth tribal leader Sumer Singh Badole, while addressing a rally in Barwani district. “We didn’t celebrate it but paid homage to the tribal victims and registered our disappointment,” he said,

Hitting out at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Badole said, “CM Chouhan wants to create a Manipur-like conflict in Madhya Pradesh. He recently announced that the Keer community will be included in the ST category which may trigger protests across the state.”

On July 29, 2023, Chouhan had said in a Keer Samaj Sammelan held at the CM’s house that, “Apart from the construction of a grand statue of Veerangana Maa Puri Bai and formation of Keer Samaj’s welfare board, after a re-survey, the state government will send the proposal with recommendations to the government of India to include the Keer community in the Scheduled Tribes.”

The tribal community in the state is also upset with the controversial Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 and the recent incident of urination on a 35-year-old tribal in Sidhi district, as also the surge in cases of atrocities against tribals, which they say, is the highest in the country.

Sharad Singh Kumare, a tribal activist, told NewsClick, “By passing Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023, the government is planning to throw tribals out of the forest which has been their home for centuries. The new Act will also overpower the 5th schedule, PESA Act and Forest Rights Act 2006. “Jungle ke alawa hamare paas kuch nahi hai. Shahron me hamare pass na zeemen hai na shiksha. Jo hai sirf jungle ha, wo bhi cheen lenge to humare pass kya bachega,” (we have nothing but the jungle to call our own, if they snatch away that too, what will we be left with?) he said in Bhopal, adding that the community needs to unite before the government snatches their rights and lands.

In Seoni, where two tribals were lynched by alleged Bajrang Dal men in 2021 on suspicion of cow slaughter, the community put-up posters across the city, shut shops and ran a social media campaign saying that ‘Tribals are not Hindus’ which faced stiff opposition from the Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal.

“India will never become a Hindu Rashtra, it will be governed by a Constitution,” said Arjun Singh Kakodiya, addressing tribals in Seoni. Kakodiya is a tribal leader and sitting legislator of the Congress party from Barghat Assembly seat of Seoni.

After 14 men of the Right-wing organisation were accused of lynching two tribals on suspicion of cow slaughter in 2021, Kakodiya had demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal and demolition of the home of the accused. Instead, the government transferred the Seoni Superintendent of Police.

Some Hindu outfits, on the contrary, announced a shutdown in Seoni against Kakodiya’s statement, the following day. But their call did not get support from local residents.

Bhaiyalal Kunjam, a tribal who took part in the World Tribal Day procession in Seoni, said, “The Centre as well as state government is constantly attacking the essence of the Constitution. They are tweaking laws to get absolute power. Secularism is under threat and there are attempts to make India a Hindu Rashtra.”

“Tribals are being framed as Naxalites, and Muslims as terrorists,” he lamented in local dialect, wearing a yellow turban and tribal outfit.

The tribal community is at the helm of Madhya Pradesh’s politics after they inclined towards Congress in the 2018 Assembly polls. With state elections three months away, both the key parties are trying to consolidate tribal voters. On one hand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  is trying to win back its lost tribal votes, while on the other, Congress is trying to hold tribal voters within its fold.

After 18 years of BJP rule, the 22% tribal population of Madhya Pradesh is struggling with unemployment, migration, malnutrition, atrocities and corruption, which the party tried to cover up with a slew of announcements after returning to power in March 2020, after toppling the 15-month Congress government.

In the 2018 elections, of the 47 reserved ST seats, BJP managed to win 16 seats as opposed to 31 ST seats it had won in the 2013 Assembly elections.

To pacify tribal voters’ anger, the BJP tried to cover up all those issues by renaming railway stations, bus stands, colleges after tribal icons and also undertook development of tribal worship places. The party, which ruled the state for almost two decades, only implemented PESA 1996 in 2022.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest tribal population (22%) in the country. The state has 46 recognised Scheduled Tribes, of which three are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) spread across 52 districts.

A tribal BJP leader, Ramkhelawan, told NewsClick that it’s a big effort to bring all tribal voters on one platform. “With various events and schemes, the party is trying to pamper and keep their loyalist voters close to it ahead of elections,” he said.

But the Sidhi urination incident by an alleged BJP leader has badly hit the party’s efforts in the past two years to set a narrative that the Shivraj government “truly cared” for the welfare of tribals.

On the other hand, the Congress is offering to reinstate the holiday on World Tribal Day (August 9) which the party declared in 2019, but the BJP government scrapped the following year after coming to power.

The party is also offering to fill the reserved backlog posts, and improve the health and education infrastructure in 89 tribal blocks, clear the pending cases of Forests Right Act 2006 and strengthen PESA rules enacted by the BJP last year.

“The issue of recent cases of atrocities on tribals, the involvement of BJP leaders and government’s attempt to protect the accused, are gaining ground among tribal voters,” said tribal leader Vikrant Bhuria, who is also president of MP’s Youth Congress.

Bhuria, along with Ramu Tekam, state head of Congress’ tribal wing, carried out a 20-day-long ‘Aadivasi Swabhiman Yatra’ touching over 40 tribal dominated seats of the 18 districts culminating on August 7 in Jhabua.

“A BJP man urinated on a tribal in Sidhi. Son of a sitting BJP MLA from Singrauli opened fire on a tribal and it took police six hours to lodge an FIR. In Nimawar block of Dewas district, five tribal men were butchered and the incident of a tribal dragged on the back of a truck in Neemuch have enraged the indigenous community,” he said adding that “The incidents unfolding in Manipur are adding fuel to the fire.”

Mandla-based advocate-turned-activist Vibhuti Jha, told NewsClick, “Youths are unhappy with Vyapamgate and non-fulfillment of reserved backlog seats. The labour class is unhappy with corruption, migration and non-payment of MGNREGA work. Besides, the cases of atrocities are taking tribals away from the ruling government.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Why Adivasis Didn’t Celebrate World Tribal Day This Year in Poll-Bound Madhya Pradesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Peacefully raising voice against ongoing exploitation is undemocratic these days. You will not only be entangled in the FIR and litigation for protesting but also can be terminated over false allegations to suffer,” said ASHA workers from Gwalior, Rajni Meena (39) and Menaf Khan (35), speaking about their termination.

ASHAs are community health workers employed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a part of India’s National Rural Health Mission to deliver doorstep health services to pregnant women and toddlers around the clock. Each ASHA worker draws a monthly payment of Rs 2,200 in Madhya Pradesh and incentives of over Rs 4,000 based on their performance.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, ASHA workers emerged as the strongest frontline health workers linking the community with the health system in the midst of the outbreak. Their efforts were recognised by the World Health Organisation. ASHAs were one of the six recipients of the WHO’s Global Health Leaders Award-2022 which recognises leadership, contributions to advancing global health, and commitment to regional health issues.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan too honoured ASHAs with kind words on several occasions for their contribution to controlling the pandemic. Yet, they are facing termination for a wage hike protest.

Meena and Khan – who have been working as ASHA workers since 2013 in Gwalior Urban – are among the 25 workers who were terminated. The reasons for termination were either being non-performers or that their names surfaced in an FIR lodged against 10 women for protesting at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Gwalior event on April 16, 2023, when they were not allowed to meet him.

Speaking to NewsClick, Manish Sharma, Chief Medical Health Officer, Gwalior confirmed, “Ten ASHA workers were sacked after their names surfaced in the FIR and 15 workers were terminated for negligence or non-performance.”

Menaf and Rajni are single mothers. Menaf has a 14-year-old son and Rajni is a mother of two teenage sons. After losing their jobs, both independent women are not only struggling to make ends meet but also worried about their children’s future. “One knows how society stigmatises single mothers. After termination, our struggle has worsened,” said Rajni.

Since 2018, around 84,000 ASHA workers in Madhya Pradesh have been facing challenges in their pursuit of a wage hike similar to their counterparts in states like Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and others. These states provide their ASHA workers with a monthly wage of Rs 10,000, in addition to incentives.

After several protests, strikes, and assurance from the government, when their demands were not met, a group of ASHA workers went on an indefinite strike from March 15, 2023, in Gwalior after taking formal permission in a bid to put pressure on the government.

When the state government and the officials did not pay heed to the strike, they sought permission from the Gwalior district administration to meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was scheduled to visit the city on April 16 for ‘Ambedkar Mahakumbh’ to mark the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

A day before CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s visit, a news report on a YouTube channel elated the protesters. In the news video, CM Chouhan, while addressing government officials, is heard saying that the government is going to fulfil the demands of Rozgar Sahayak, Panchayat Sachiv, Anganwadi workers, ASHAs, USHAs, Patwari and others soon.

The two-minute video news concluded with the claim that the CM is going to make big announcements in Gwalior including a wage hike for ASHA workers. A bunch of upbeat protestors turned up at the event the following day with prior permission, anticipating an announcement by the CM. But their balloon of excitement burst when CM Chouhan did not make any announcement related to wage hikes but promoted the recently launched Ladli Behna Yojana. The scheme which was launched for women voters ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled in November this year, offers Rs 1,000 a month to women aged between 23 to 60.

The protesters pleaded with the officials present to allow them to meet the CM to hand over their memorandum of demands. But this request was turned down. This allegedly upset the ASHA workers who raised slogans for a wage hike during the event. In the subsequent minutes, they were dragged out of the pandal, allegedly manhandled and booked for creating a ‘riot’ and behaving indecently at CM’s event.

“A group of women from Bhind district, distressed with penury created a ruckus when CM passed them over without listening to their demands. They were in plain clothes, unlike ASHA workers who were wearing uniform saree. The police mistook them as one of us and blamed ASHA workers for the whole episode,” explained Laxmi Kaurav, president of the ASHA/USHA State Shramik Sangh.

Over two dozen of the protesters received ‘show cause’ notices following the CM’s event. “Officials used this episode to quell the voices of ASHA workers who were on strike. They also sacked key protestors who were vocal with their demands,” Laxmi added.

The police booked 10 ASHA workers under Sections 147 (Riot) and 341 (wrongful Restraint) of the IPC on the same day. “Menaf Khan, who was at home because of fasting (Ramazan) was also wrongly named in the FIR. She was terminated without investigation which shows an attempt to target those who have been vocal about the wage hike demand,” lamented Rajni Meena, speaking to NewsClick. “She is among the best ASHA workers in the state. She has won many awards and appreciation from the government.”

Yet, the protest continued the next day. The FIR and show cause notices did not deter the protestors and it continued till May 15. After 62 days of protest, the ASHA workers called off the strike giving a window of over a month to the government. They submitted their demands including revoking the termination of ASHA workers at the CM House in Bhopal.

“We have submitted our memorandum in the presence of ACS Health Mohammad Suleman, Union Minister Narendara Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Energy Minister from Gwalior Praduman Singh Tomar and others. Our demands seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” said Kavita Solanki, president of the Left-backed ASHA workers’ union.

ASHA workers claimed that they have not received their salaries or incentives since January 2023 and they are working without pay.

“The show cause notice mentioned laxity and negligence towards the work when we were on the strike. But the termination letter says that they were sacked for the fallout of the FIR,” Laxmi contended.

CMHO Manish Sharma admitted that the ASHA workers went on the strike with prior information.

“Can an employee be sacked over false FIRs?” asked Laxmi. “Dozens of FIRs under serious charges are lodged against IAS, IPS officers and senior bureaucrats. Yet, they enjoy their posts. But ASHA workers were made scapegoats for demanding a wage hike in the election year.”

Menaf and Rajni who are looking for private jobs to make ends meet are worried about their children. One has taken a loan from a relative to put food on the plates of their children and another has become dependent on their aged parents.

When asked about their termination, CMHO Sharma said, “We have already started the process to fill those vacant posts. The complaints were pouring in against them that they were not performing their duties properly lately.”

Speaking to NewsClick, Menaf said, “On the one hand, CM Chouhan claimed to have been empowering women with Ladli Behna Yojana and self-help groups and on the other hand, their erring officials have terminated Ladli Behnas for demanding a wage hike.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post ASHA Workers ‘Pay Price for Protest’: 25 Terminated, 10 Booked for ‘Rioting’ in Madhya Pradesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bhopal: Focusing on 48% of women voters and religion, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Madhya Pradesh government presented the last budget of the 15th Assembly Session on Wednesday.

Amid the Congress’ walkout over the surge of Rs 50 on LPG and 350 on commercial cylinders, Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the first paperless state budget with an estimated expenditure of Rs 3.14 lakh crore and revenue receipts of Rs 2.25 lakh crore. It includes the state’s tax earnings of Rs 86,499.9 crore, share of central taxes amounting to Rs 80,183.6 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 14,913.1 crore and central grants of around Rs 44,113.1 crore.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Of the Rs 3.14 lakh crore, Rs 1,02,976 crore (One third) of the budget has been diverted to women-oriented schemes. As much as Rs 8,000 crore has been allocated to the newly introduced ‘Ladli Bahna’ scheme under which 1.2 crore women in the age group of 23 years to 60 years will get a grant of Rs 1,000 per month starting from April-May.

Besides, Rs 929 crore for the CM’s flagship Ladli Laxmi Yojana, Rs 660 crore for 2% interest subsidy on bank loans for women’s self-help groups, Rs 467 crore for Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana, and Rs 300 crore for the continuance of the nutrition allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to women of Sahariya, Bharia and Baiga tribes. The girls who secure first division in higher secondary will be gifted e-scooters.

Apart from women, the state, which is reeling under a debt of over Rs 3 lakh crore, allocated Rs 358 crores to expand and establish four temples; Devilok in Salkanpur, Ramlok in Orchha, Ravidas Samark in Sagar and Divya Vanvasi Lok in Chitrakoot. Last year, the government allocated Rs 370 crore for the ‘statue of oneness’ Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar and Rs 700 crore for Mahakal Lok Corridor, which was inaugurated by PM Modi last October.

“The provision of Rs 50 crore has been announced for ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojna’ through airways. A 900 km Narmada Pragati Path will also be developed in the state for the Narmad Prakarmi. The helicopter facility for pilgrimage will be started soon,” Finance Minister Deoda said in the budget speech.

The FM, who announced Rs 142 crore for treatment of animals at the doorstep last year, has now declared to open 3 346 cow shelters in the state. He also announced a museum dedicated to Dr Keshan Hegdevar in Balaghat and a memorial for the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Gwalior.

The other major focus of the budget is the implementation of central and state government schemes. The government allocated Rs 8,000 crore for the PM Awas Yojana and Rs 7,332 crore for Rural Drinking Water scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The budget is going to make the concept of Ram Rajya a reality. It will fulfil the resolution of PM Modi to usher in a change in the lives of marginalised people.”

“This is a budget for infrastructure development and people’s welfare. Women’s welfare is our priority and a provision of total Rs 1,02,976 crores has been made for schemes like Ladli Laxmi, Gaon ki Beti, Kanya Vivah for subsidising the interest on loans taken out by women self-help groups (SHGs) and others. This is a historically high provision for women,” the CM said.

The budget makes provision of Rs 11,406 crore for the construction of government primary schools, Rs 6,728 for middle schools, Rs 5,520 for power bills subsidy under the Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana. Besides, Rs 4,775 crore have been marked for free electricity supply to five HP agricultural pumps and Rs 3,500 crore for Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana as a subsidy for domestic consumers.

In the budget speech, the Finance Minister announced an allocation of Rs 53,964 crores for farmers and agriculture and Rs 38,375 crores for the education sector. The Gas Relief Department, which was not getting funds for the last two years, has been allocated Rs 136 crore in the election year.

The sports budget of the state was increased three times to Rs 738 crores as Madhya Pradesh recently organised ‘Khelo India’ in eight cities. He also said special provisions were made for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, and denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. The budget has a provision of Rs 36,950.16 crore under the ST Sub-Scheme and Rs 260,86.81 crore for the SC sub-scheme.

CONGRESS SAYS ‘FALSE BUDGET’

When the Finance Minister was reading out the budget, the Leader of Opposition, Dr Govind Singh, opposed it by saying the LPG prices have been hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder, affecting the finances of households. “I request that this government not implement this increase in cooking gas prices. Let the chief minister announce this,” he said.

Former finance minister Tarun Bhanot said, “There is no provision to control the growing inflation. Instead of giving relief, LPG price is increased by Rs 50. Like Rajasthan, the Madhya Pradesh government should have announced subsidised LPG at Rs 500 to marginalised families.”

Former CM Kamal Nath told Speaker Gautam to intervene saying at one point you (CM Chouhan) claim women are Ladli Bahnas and then you raise the prices of gas cylinders.”

When the CM did not speak, LoP Dr Govind Singh said, “The Chief Minister has not said anything on LPG. Over five crore population of the state is under the BPL (below proverty line), yet the government is silent on inflation. Therefore, to protest this, we are walking out.”

The entire Congress opposition, including former chief minister Kamal Nath, staged a walk-out.

Speaking to reporters after the budget in the assembly, State Congress president Kamal Nath said, “Untruthful budget of an untruthful government.”

In a Tweet, Nath said, “This is a budget of loans, commissions and annihilation. Everything is just ‘proposed’. If we look at the budget of last year, then only 55% of the proposed funds have been granted. This is a budget of just three months that focuses on poll promises and tries to mislead through theatrics.”

To counter BJP’s Ladli Behna Yojana, in which Rs 1000 would be given to over 1.2 crore women, he said, “This is a copycat of Congress’ Himachal Pradesh’s Scheme. If we come to power in 2023, we will give Rs 1500 to women against 1000.”

He further said that the ground reality is that last year there were 90 lakh unemployed youth in the state and the number has now grown to one crores. The numbers of schools with no teachers and hospitals with no doctors have grown by 25 per cent. “The budget today was a mere formality with the intent of misleading and fooling the people,” the ex-CM said.

Referring to the announcement of waiving off bank interests of farmers he pointed out, “Chouhan announced waiving of bank interest for farmers who have defaulted on agri loans. But the budget has provided only Rs 350 crore for it against 2500 crore. It’s a hoax.”

In an official communique, the Congress leader said, “The biggest setback in this Budget has been for the rural economy, which is the backbone of the state. The way farmers and rural development have been neglected in this budget is highly condemnable.”

The senior Congress leader argued that the budget has decreased its allocation for the agriculture sector. “The loan waiver scheme of up to Rs 2 lakh has been stopped,” he said in an official communique of the Congress party.

On the taxes, he said, “Then the government should explain how revenue earnings from state taxes will increase to Rs 78137. 24 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 86499. 98 crore in the Budget estimate of 2023-24. How will that happen? How can such a huge increase in the state tax occur without imposing any new tax?” Kamal Nath asked.

DEBT ON STATE

Madhya Pradesh government took a loan of around Rs 76 crore every day between June end 2022 to February 1, 2023 (seven months), which is estimated to be Rs 16,000 crore.

Replying to the question of Congress MLA Mevaram Jatav, finance minister Jagdish Devda in a written statement said, “Out of the total Rs 16,000 crore loan taken between June 29 to February 1, a loan of Rs 4,000 crore was taken on February 1, days before the budget. In September last year too, the government took a loan of Rs 4,000 crore, which means half of the total loan taken in just two of the seven months.”

The interest on the loans ranges between 7. 46% to 8. 64%. The due date of the loans is between 2032 to 2038.

Even though the state promised to keep the fiscal deficit at 4.02% of the state gross domestic product (SGDP) in the next financial year, the state’s debt is estimated to rise from 3 lakh crore to 3.85 lakh crore by March 31, 2024 as the government has planned to take loans for fund the welfare schemes. “The debt to GSDP ratio would be 27.83% in 2023-24, down from 30.12% in the current financial year,” said FM in the budget speech.

According to opposition leaders, every citizen of the state has a debt of over 50, 000, yet, the government says the state’s budget is in the best shape.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post MP Budget: Govt Eyes Women Voters and Religious Sentiments in Election Year appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bhopal: After Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation row and Karni Sena’s anti-reservation protest last week, resentment is brewing among two lakh Schedule Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) government employees in the election year.

The AJJAKS, a union of Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe Employees, on Sunday announced to hold a massive rally (SC/ST Samagam) on February 26 in Bhopal against Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government.

The decision to hold the rally was taken in a meeting of block presidents, and office bearers of the union held on Sunday at Bhopal’s Ravindra Bhawan.

Speaking to Newsclick, General Secretary of AJJAKS, SL Suryavanshi, said, “The promises chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made on June 12, 2016, to the employees of reserved community in a public rally are still unfulfilled. He promised reservations in all government hirings, reservations in promotions, hiring on backlog reserved seats and others. On his direction, the General Administrative Department framed rules for reservations in promotions and a roaster system in 2017, but he didn’t intend to implement it. It has been six years since.”

“Chief minister Chouhan is compelled to fulfil the promises he made publicly,” he lamented.

“The reservation in Health, Finance, Co-operative Departments, District Courts and government medical colleges has been revoked. Besides, there is no reservation for outsourced employees. Every provision of the Reservation Act 1994 is being violated by this government.”

“Not just that,” He further said, “The constitutional rights of the SC/ST community are being stripped away. They are facing discrimination on postings and mental harassment at workplaces.”

CM Chouhan’s announcement on June 12, 2016, is significant in many ways. It was the same public rally where CM Chouhan made “Jab Tak Mai Hu, Koi Mai Ka Laal Reservation Khatam Nahi Kar Sakta….” to end the suspension over the reservation of the SC/ST Community. But it upsets the general category voters who allegedly voted against the BJP in the 2018 elections and drove out the saffron party from the state.

The office bearers of AJJAKS claimed that they had submitted memorandums at the block and district levels. “If our demands are not met by January 29, we will hold a rally on February 26 in Bhopal to ring the last alarm to the ruling government,” said Vinod Singh Batti, Bhopal district president, AJJAKS to NewsClick.

When asked the reasons for CM Chouhan’s reluctance to deliver the promises, he explained, “Leaders and officials of upper castes have deluded him that this move can backfire and can enrage the voters of the general category again, which is not true.”

Facing flak from the voters of the Rajput community for his 2016 ‘Mai Ka Laal‘ remark, chief minister Chouhan on January 5, 2023, announced a government holiday to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, construction of a memorial after queen Padmavati, withdrawal of cases lodged against members of the Rajput community during the protest of film Padmavat, a hostel for the poor upper-class students, rebate in examination fee for upper-class students on the lines of SCs/STs and others.

He made the announcement when Karni Sena announced to protest against the government on January 8 at Bhopal’s Jamboree Maidan.

Not just that, Chief Minister Chouhan also laid the foundation stone of the Padmavati memorial the same day. Yet, a section of Karni Sena broke apart and decided to protest at Jamboree Maidan as per the decided schedule of January 8, 2023.

The Karni Sena is a well-known right-wing organisation backed by the BJP. The organisation came to light in 2017 during the agitation of the Hindi film Padmavat produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

With 21 demands, under the banner of Karni Sena Pariwar Sarva Samaj led by one Jeevan Singh Sherpur of Ratlam, launched an intense protest at Bhopal’s Jamboree Maidan from the night of January 7.

They were demanding a law for the protection of interests of the general category and OBC persons on the lines of the SC/ST Act, age relaxation in recruitments to general category students, not increasing the retirement age of government employees, early recruitments on vacant posts, relaxation of criteria in EWS quota, retracting of cases against Karni Sena members who participated in agitation against movie Padmavat and in farmers’ agitation.

The BJP, which has already been facing allegations of being anti-reservation, the ‘softness’ of the government with the agitating Karni Sena members added fuel to the fire.

Commenting over the Karni Sena’s recent protest, SL Suryavanshi said, “The BJP government, which quelled the OBC reservation protests with an iron hand, offered juice, food and protection to the protestors for days who openly abused CM Chouhan’ deceased mother and spoke against the constitution.”

Justifying his demands, he further said that Karni Sena’s demand is not only unconstitutional but irrational. “The reservation has been granted based on social inequality, caste-based discrimination, not based on financial condition.”

The financial status of the person does not improve the caste discrimination in society, he said.

“Those advocating for the reservation on the economic background should first guarantee the end of caste-based discrimination. Can they do it?” he lamented.

According to the 2011 census, Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 37 % of the population. Both communities have over two lakh government employees who have sway over the 10 lakh voters.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: A taunt from a fellow villager, weeks after his acquittal in a gang-rape case, forced a 30-year-old tribal from Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam to manoeuvre an indemnity suit suing the government for loss of business, reputation, mental agony and sexual pleasure.

The father of three, Kantilal Bheel alias Kantu, a resident of Ghoda Kheda village of Ratlam district, spent two years in jail before he was acquitted by the sessions court in a case of gang rape on November 20 last year.

Ratlam Police arrested Kantu on December 23, 2020, almost two years after a woman from his village lodged an FIR at Bajna police station against Kantu and his accomplice Bhairu Singh.

Spent two years in jail in a false case of gang-rape, a 35-YO tribal Kantilal Bheel from MP’s Ratlam filed a compensation suite of Rs 10,006 crores.

He seeks compensation on grounds of loss of business, reputation, mental agony & #sexual_pleasure.

Court acquitted him on Nov 20. pic.twitter.com/ak9CKJXkib

— काश/if Kakvi (@KashifKakvi) January 4, 2023

He was booked under Sections 366 and 376(D) of the IPC in January 2018. In contrast, co-accused Bhairu Singh managed to secure anticipatory bail from Indore High Court under Sections 376 and 120-B.

The Indore High Court, which granted anticipatory bail to Bhairu Singh, turned down Kantu’s two bail applications in two years, pointed out Ajay Singh Yadav, his counsel.

Yadav runs an NGO which provides free legal aid to the marginalised in the Ratlam district.

Kantilal walked free on October 20, 2022, after the Ratlam District acquitted him of rape charges. The Court did not find evidence suitable to prosecute him.

Miffed with it, in an application put up before the District and Sessions Court, Ratlam, against police officials and Ratlam district collector, Kantilal demanded a compensation of Rs 10,000 crore for the damages caused during the two years of jail term for a crime he did not commit.

The Court will take up the matter on January 10.

Speaking to Newsclick, Kantilal said: “Hand in glove with the police, the woman complainant conspired against me and ruined my family and reputation. Police created fake documents to support the case and kept me behind bars for two years.”

He continued, “I went through police harassment and mental trauma. My children and wife faced a social boycott which ruined my family. Now that I am out, I find it hard to arrange food for my children.”

Kantu, a labourer, has three children and an acre of land to plough. “With no support from the village and family, my children and wife went through many hardships in the last two years.”

He sought Rs 1 crore compensation each for the loss of business and reputation on account of bodily harm and mental pain and Rs 10,000 crore for the ‘loss of god’s gift to humans’, like sexual pleasure. He separately sought Rs 2 lakh to cover the litigation cost.

Explaining his decision to claim such a huge amount, Kantilal’s lawyer Vijay Singh Yadav said that the case turned the life of his client upside down and the compensation would help his family live a respectful life.

“Kantilal’s life has been ruined by the system. He is responsible for looking after his old-age mother, wife and three children. Since he was in jail, his children had to drop out of school and survive starvation,” the lawyer said.

Yadav, who runs free legal aid, said, “When his wife approached us for aid, we filed an application to run the case on the fast track. The court conducted a full trial and acquitted him.”

In January 2018, a woman from his village filed a complaint at the Bajna police station in Ratlam, alleging that Kantilal offered to drop her at her brother’s home but took her to the jungles of Ghoda Kheda instead and raped her. The FIR further says Kantu handed over the woman to Bhairu, who raped her for six months.

The complainant had also alleged that Kantilal later handed her over to another man named Bhairu Singh (co-accused), who promised to find her work in Indore. She also alleged that she was raped repeatedly during her stay in Indore.

He further said, “The case highlights the loopholes in the system which people use to avenge their rivalry. Ironically, the complainant woman is living with the co-accused Bhairu Singh, who managed to secure bail. While Kantu, another accused, spent two years in jail for nothing.” 

In a similar case last year, the court acquitted Chandresh Marskole (36), a tribal medical student from Balaghat, who was serving a life term in a case of murdering his classmate. He spent 13 years in jail after Madhya Pradesh High Court acquitted him, terming him innocent and ordering a compensation of Rs 42 lakh to the state government.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 5, 2022, overturned the July 31, 2009 trial court (of additional sessions judge, Bhopal) conviction of Marskole and his consequent life sentence for murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Whenever such cases made headlines, a debate broke out over the long overdue police reforms and criminal justice. The Indian justice system has no law to compensate or reparation for those who are acquitted after long periods of incarceration.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Girish Gautam has criticised MLAs for “not paying much attention to the rules, laws and conduct of the House” and the media for giving “space” to such legislators who “create ruckus” during proceedings.

Ironically, Gautam’s sermon did not reflect in the 21 months of his tenure with more than 70 Bills and ordinances being passed in less than 90 hours.

At the launch of Vidhan Sabha principal secretary Awadhesh Pratap Singh’s book Legislature’s Practice and Procedure at the Assembly’s convention hall on the first day of the Winter Session on Monday, Gautam complained of MLAs not showing interest in reading and the media playing an important role in it.

“Since the media gives space to legislators who create ruckus or protest inside the Assembly, the MLAs act accordingly and don’t pay much attention to the rules, laws and conduct of the House,” he said in the presence of MLAs, ministers and coaching students.

Recalling famous MLAs like socialist leader Jagadamba Prasad Nigam and the BJP’s Sunderlal Patwa, Gautam pointed out, “They were the masters of the Assembly—its functioning and the government. It is missing in today’s lawmakers.”  

Expressing disappointment at the drop of Assembly sessions and the lack of participation of legislators, he said, “In public speeches, MLAs often say that the Assembly is their temple and they are the priests. But if the priests are not educated, how will the devotees trust the temple?”

“It’s the responsibility of the MLAs to maintain the dignity of the House and attack each other with wit, facts and logical arguments and not mudslinging,” he added

Terming the book “sacred” for new legislators, he said, “As demanded by Opposition leader Govind Singh and home minister Narottam Mishra, a copy of the book will be issued to all the 230 members of the House so they can understand the functioning in basic Hindi.”

Nonetheless, Gautam’s preaching did not reflect during his tenure. More than 74 Bills and ordinances many of which have provisions for capital punishment and jail for up to 20 years were passed in just 89 hours between March 2020 and August 2021. More than 36 ordinances were passed without any debate, including in two Budget Sessions.

In 2020, the Assembly passed 33 Bills and ordinances in just 113 minutes whereas, in 2021, 41 Bills and ordinances were passed in 62 hours till August, according to official records.

Many of the important laws that have provisions for life imprisonment, fines up to 20 lakh and capital punishment were passed without debate.

“The recent trend of passing laws without debate in the Assembly seems unhealthy for democracy,” Sitasharan Sharma, former Speaker and sitting BJP MLA from Itarsi, told Newsclick.

“A healthy debate in the Assembly over a proposed Bill puts a light on the pros and cons of the law and then the concerned department fixes it. But it’s not happening,” Sharma said.

Besides, the House functioned for only 1.53 hours in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Vidhan Sabha website. In February 2021, when Gautam was elected Speaker, the House functioned only 62 hours and further dropped to around 23 hours in 2022, including the Budget and the Monsoon sessions.

Year-wise functioning of Madhya Pradesh Assembly  

During the Monsoon Session, Gautam launched a booklet barring the usage of 1,161 words and phrases which was opposed by MLAs.

Words like ‘ventilator’, ‘dictator’, ‘postman’, ‘naxalwad’ (Maoists), ‘anyay’ (injustice), ‘habitual’, ‘bechara’ (helpless), ‘halla’ (noise), ‘bhedbhav’ (discrimination), ‘chor’ (thief), ‘yaar’ (friend), ‘corrupt’, ‘Pappu’, ‘bandhuwa mazdoor’ (bonded labourer) and ‘bantadhar’ (catchphrase used for former CM Digvijay Singh) were declared unparliamentary and if someone used them, they would be expunged.

The booklet was not only opposed by the Congress but also by BJP leader and former pro tem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma.

Minutes after the book launch, former minister and Congress legislator Kamleshwar Patel said that the “reliability of the House is in question”. “Legislators filed questions but did not get answers even after three-to-four sessions. Stringent laws and Budgets are passed without debates,” he told Newsclick.

“The five-day long Monsoon Session ended in three days in a lieu of PM Narendra Modi’s Kuno visit. Yet the Speaker did not say anything. Not a single good debate was held in the last two years. Everyone is just passing the time,” Patel added.

“To hide corruption, the 18-year-long BJP government neither has an interest in running the Assembly nor replying to questions. All important questions were turned down saying ‘collecting information’ or ‘not available’,” Patel said.

“Even after two years of joining the BJP, former Congress MLA Sachin Birla’s membership has not been cancelled. His application was turned down thrice by the Speaker,” Patel said alleging that the “autonomous” Assembly is “working as an arm of the government.

“It’s the Speaker’s duty to hold longer sessions, ensure debate on every Bill and raise tough questions during the Question Hours and ensure replies. Surely, it will restore people’s trust, Patel added.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: The draft of the newly proposed Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022, released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on November 18 for public feedback, has infuriated the Information commissioners and RTI activists.

Five information commissioners, including two sitting commissioners on Tuesday (December 13), held an online press conference opening a front against the four sections of the newly proposed draft. They said that the Right to Information Act 2005-06, passed to usher in transparency in the governance and give citizens access to the government files, is under serious threat.

The four sections of the new law — Section 2, redefines the individuals. Section 22, which overrides the RTI law, Section 29 (2), Section 30 (2), which proposed amendment in RTI’s section 8(1)(J), attacks the very essence of the RTI and it will cripple one of the best transparency laws in the world.

“Anyone trying to dilute or weaken the RTI act is against democracy and transparency,” said Ratnakar Gaikwad, former chief secretary and former Chief Information Commissioner, Maharashtra.

“Data Protection bill is already a blatant attack on the privacy, and under the garb of data protection, the government is trying to do away with RTI.”

The Union government in August this year rolled back the proposed Data protection bill. But it released the new draft and sought public feedback by December 18.

Addressing the ZOOM press conference, Shailesh Gandhi, former Center Information Commissioner, pointed out that the proposed law defines a ‘person’, contradictory to the RTI laws. Besides, it diluted the difference between public information and personal information.

Section 2 (12) defines a person as “(a) an individual; (b) a Hindu Undivided Family; (c) a company; (d) a firm; (e) an association of persons or a body of individuals, whether incorporated or not; (f) the State; and (g) every artificial juristic person, not falling within any of the preceding sub-clauses so the privacy law would cover all kinds of people and organisation.

“Seeking any information related to the ‘person’ can be denied citing privacy, and violators of the privacy will be fined heavily,” said Gandhi.

Clause 30(2) of the draft proposes an amendment to Section 8(j) of the RTI Act, which will have the effect of totally exempting personal information from disclosure.

Section 8(j) of the RTI Act states that information related to personal information will be exempted from RTI Act if its disclosure has no relationship to any public activity or interest or if it would cause an unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual. However, Public Information Officer can direct the disclosure of such personal information if the authority is satisfied that “if the information is related to the larger public interest, it is on the wisdom of the information commissioner to ask the official to disclose such information,” said Gandhi.

Gandhi pointed out Section 8 (1)( j ), which is criminally misused by the bureaucrats to deny the information. The new law proposes an amendment to increase its purview, giving officials the right to deny access to most information. “Any information or document which can be presented in the Parliament or in the assembly is a public document and citizens have rights to access it which will be denied with the proposed amendment.”

In addition, the RTI Act, which has an overriding influence over all other acts, will also be changed. If passed, the new law will have the overriding effect over the RTI, which will weaken the Act.

“Data protection is important but not at the cost of the RTI Act,” said Rahul Singh, Madhya Pradesh information commissioner and former journalist who was part of the press conference. “Instead of strengthening the 16-year-old law to usher in transparency, an attempt is being made to weaken it. What is the need to amend RTI to protect the data?”

He demanded that the government show and prove its reasons for suggesting such an amendment to the RTI Act. “What constituted an illegal denial of information earlier will be converted to legal denial,” he said.

Referring to the recent cases, Singh said, “There are countless cases in which information is denied on the ground of 8 (1)(J). In a case related to the Public Works Department in which information was sought about bills raised by the contractors where the amount was paid without the work being completed is denying invoking section 8(1)(J). In another case, the Education Department refused to share the attendance record of a teacher drawing a salary without coming to school. Likewise, the Mining Department refused to disclose information on royalty paid by a mining firm since it had claimed that this was ‘personal information’.

Also, he said, in one case, an officer had two caste certificates, but when information was asked for under the RTI Act, it was denied on the ground that it was ‘personal information’.

Section 8(1)(j) says no information would be provided in some cases barring when it is in the larger public interest; the new Bill changes this provision. Also, he lamented that it does away with the provision, which stated that information which cannot be denied to Parliament or a State Assembly would not be denied to an appellant.

He insisted that the RTI Act not be changed since it is the first law that declares regular citizens to be the “maliks,” or the true rulers, rather than the government.

Another former central information commissioner and IPS officer, Yashovardhan Azad, spoke about how the Data Protection Bill will trample upon the provisions of the RTI Act, which he said was called “the sunshine legislation when it was enacted”.

Azad said the RTI Act provides a preamble for transparency and accountability. “Article 13 of the Constitution says that no executive action or law can be brought that goes against the basic rights of the people. And yet today, if we are trying to expand the horizons of Section 8 (1)(j) and saying that in view of breach of privacy no information will be given, then this would directly impact the people’s right to information.”

He further said, “This is not the first time the Union government and bureaucrats tried to twist the RTI law, but they backed out when civil societies relented. If this law is passed in its current form, we can only access the budget. It’s time for civil societies to speak up against it.”

Former state information commissioner and journalist Aatmdeep said there are four provisions in the Data Protection Bill which are “not only unnecessary but will hit RTI Act. He said these provisions “remove the difference between personal data and personal information”.

“Since the new Bill does not define personal data, it might result in a situation where all information is concealed. Therefore, we urge that these four clauses be repealed and that no changes be made to the RTI Act, he added.

Pointing to the media, he said, “RTI is the strongest tool for journalists to acquire information. Besides, Section 12 to 14 of the data protection law says if the media publishes a report with sources, it will be considered a violation of the protection bill and will be sued. Journalists should speak up before they are forced to be silent.”

Aatmdeep stated that third-party information would also be impacted, and businesses would now be exempt from sharing information. He also stated that persons would be penalised for obtaining, distributing, or publishing such personal information. “Now, all sorts of information will be concealed.”

Gaikwad said there is no judicial or political will to uphold the people’s right to information. “This is all supporting corruption,” he said while referring to the Data Protection Bill’s impact on the RTI Act.

A Rewa-bases social activist Shivanand Dwivedi, who was anchoring the press conference, also submitted a memorandum to the Rewa collector demanding changes in the proposed draft.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: Clearing the air over the speculations of restoration of concessions on senior citizens in train tickets, the Indian railways has explicitly dismissed the prospect of restoring it. Before COVID, women passengers above the age of 58 were eligible for a 50% fare rebate, while men above 60 were eligible for a 40% discount. This applies to all trains, except Garib Rath and a few other trains like the Gatiman Express, Suvidha, and Humsafar trains.

In a reply filed by Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch-based RTI activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur to CRIS (Central railways Information Systems) seeking the status of the recommendations made by the Parliamentary standing committee on railwayss over the restoration of concessions on senior citizens in train tickets, the railways said, “After duly considering the recommendations of the standing committee, the railways has reached to the conclusions that it gave a subsidy of Rs 59,837 crore in 2019-20 on all the passenger tickets which are 53% of total the ticket’s fair. Besides, the concession for disabled, patients and students are already in play.”

The Ministry of railways, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak on March 19, 2020, issued a circular withdrawing all the concessions given on train tickets for various categories, including senior citizens (except four categories of Divyangjan, 11 categories of patients and students). This was done to prevent non-essential travelling during COVID-19.

Before COVID, women passengers above the age of 58 were eligible for a 50% fare rebate, while men above 60 were eligible for a 40% discount. This applies to all trains, except Garib Rath and a few other trains like the Gatiman Express, Suvidha, and Humsafar trains.

When the railways did not restore the concession after months of the COVID-19 restrictions eased off, questions were raised in the parliament. Replying to it, the Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Monsoon session of the parliament in 2022, said, “Re-starting concessions for senior citizens were not feasible for the government.”

But after the Parliamentary standing committee on railwayss submitted its report on August 4, 2022, in favour of the restoration of senior citizens’ concession for sleeper and 3AC passengers, hopes have gone up that the railwayss might restore the concessions.

The committee recommended that since the railwayss are heading towards normalcy, they should consider the concessions granted to different categories of passengers judiciously.

“The Committee desires that concessions to senior citizens which were available in pre-COVID times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and III AC urgently so that the vulnerable and the genuinely needy senior citizens could avail the facility in these classes,” the report read.

But, the RTI reply clarifies that the railwayss has no plan to restore the concessions.

To justify their decision, the railways termed the concession to senior citizens as a ‘loss of revenue’. It argued that the railways have been losing an average of Rs 1,800 crore yearly due to concession on passenger tickets which dropped to Rs 38 crore in 2020-21 — the year concessions were dropped.

Subsidy for Senior Citizens 2016-17 to 2020-21

Nevertheless, the railways, in an RTI reply, admitted that over 65% of the senior citizens travelling between 2015 to 2018 either opted for sleeper classes or non-AC coaches.

The railways said, “Between 2015 to 2018, 54% of senior citizens preferred sleeper class, 16 % opted for 3-AC, 7% of passengers opted for Chair Car, an additional 7% travelled in 2-AC, 2% in other AC classes while the remaining 14% travelled in other non-AC coaches.

Classification of passengers travelled between 2015-2018

The data indicates that the senior citizens benefiting from the concessions belong to the middle or marginalised classes.

After dropping senior citizen concessions, the RTI further sought the details of the railways’ earnings. The railways said between April 2020 and September 2022, it earned Rs 5808.85 crore by selling 11.3 crore tickets to senior citizens, including 6. 8 crore men and 4.54 crore.

The railways earned Rs 3,434 crore from males and Rs 2,373 crore from female passengers. By dropping senior citizen concessions, railways saved close to Rs 1,300 crore from male and Rs 1,200 crore from female senior citizens.

According to Gaur’s RTI, the number of aged passengers, which dropped during the COVID times, is restabilising to pre-pandemic levels. In Financial Year 2019-20, Indian railways carried 7.3 crore elderly persons, dropping to 1.90 crore in FY 20-21. However, it climbed to 5.5 crore in FY22, and in the ongoing financial year till September end, it reached 3.87 crore.

Showing displeasure over the railways’s decision, a member of the Bhopal Citizen Forum, Harish Bhavnani, pointed out, “It’s not joyful to see that railways dropped an essential welfare scheme for senior citizens and termed it as ‘loss of the revenue’. India is a welfare state, and when politicians and government officials can get concessions, why can’t the senior citizens?”

“Instead of discontinuing it, the railways should raise the age bar from 60 to 65 for men and 58 to 60 for women. It may cut down the losses,” he suggested.

SK Gaur, a member of the Bhopal-based senior citizen forum, further said that senior citizens are an unorganised sector, where just a small proportion of people have pensions or earnings.

“Besides, inflation is skyrocketing, and there is hardly any direct government policy for middle-class senior citizens. In that case, discontinuing such a popular scheme is against the aged people.”

Apart from concessions, in reply to the question in the ongoing parliament sessions, the Indian railways have brushed aside the speculation over resuming the stoppage of trains in the railway stations as it was in pre-COVID-19 times.

NO STOPPAGE OF TRAINS

Replying to the question of BJP MP from Khajuraho VD Sharma and Rakesh Singh, a parliamentarian from Jabalpur, the railways said that it has scientifically redesigned the timetable after the COVID and stoppages at these stations are neither operationally expedient nor commercially justified at present.

railways said, “To provide better passenger safety by creating maintenance corridor blocks, minimising conflicts in existing time tables etc., Indian railways had undertaken rationalisation of time tables (including that of stoppages) in a scientific manner with the assistance of IIT-Bombay. Since November 2021, Mail/Express services have been operated as per rationalised timetable and stoppages. However, provision of stoppage is an ongoing process on Indian railways subject to operational feasibility, commercial justification, etc.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: A day after a 48-year-old tribal school teacher met with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra to raise the issues of the tribal community, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Madhya Pradesh government sacked the teacher for “violating service conduct rules”.

Rajesh Kannoje, a teacher at a primary school in Newali Tehsil of Barwani district met with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on November 24 in Khandwa along with tribal leaders. He also gifted Gandhi a bow and arrow as a token of respect and raised the issues of tribal rights, the Forest Rights Act, the implementation of Schedule 5 and others.

The teacher was suspended on November 25, a day after he took part in the yatra. The issue came to the fore after his suspension order surfaced on social media.

Appointed in 1997, Kannoje was posted at a primary school in a village named Kunjare – located 55 km away from the district headquarters. The school, which falls under the state’s Tribal Affairs Department in Kanasya, has a total of 27 tribal students.

Confirming it, NS Raghuvanshi, Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Affairs Department said, “Kannoje was suspended for violation of service conduct rules and attending a political rally. He had sought leave citing important work, but he posted photographs on social media after attending a political event.”

 As per the order, Kannoje violated section 5 of Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965 by attending Bharat Jodo Yatra – a political rally on November 24.

Speaking to NewsClick, suspended tribal teacher Kannoje said, “Apart from being a school teacher since 1997, I have been working as a tribal rights activist for two decades. I often attend the rallies of tribal outfits and try to raise the voice of the oppressed class. But nothing troubled the government until I met Gandhi.”

Clarifying his stand he said, “I did not know that meeting with opposition leaders to raise the voice of the community is prohibited in the government services. I did attend the Yatra like a Bharat Yatra but as a representative of an oppressed community whose rights are being taken away.”       

Reacting over the issue, state Congress media department chairperson K K Mishra in a tweet said that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government has allowed employees to take part in the shakhas of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), but suspended a tribal, Rajesh Kannoje, for gifting ‘tir-kaman’ (bow and arrow) to Rahul Gandhi “during a non-political march”.

The yatra, which arrived in Madhya Pradesh on November 23, entered Rajasthan on Sunday.

(With PTI inputs)

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bhopal: A year before the election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for almost two decades, enacted Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996 on November 15 after losing half tribal seats in 2018 assembly elections.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the rules of the Act at a Tribal Pride Day programme in Lalpur village of Shahdol district on Tuesday in presence of India’s first tribal President Droupadi Murmu. The act was enacted almost 15 months after the first announcement in Jabalpur in September 2021 by Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi on 15th November last year.

Passed by the Parliament in 1996 with an idea to empower and preserve the tribal population from exploitation, Madhya Pradesh became one of the eight states to enact the law. PESA gives special power to “gram sabhas” (Village committees) in scheduled areas for the management of natural resources. The new law will allow self-governance via Gram Sabhas in 89 tribal blocks of the state, covering 2,350 villages in 5,212 panchayats.

Accounting for 21% of the state’s population, Madhya Pradesh has the highest tribal population in the country. Out of the 230 seats, 47 are reserved for tribals in the state and have sway over the two dozen other seats. In the 2018 assembly elections, the saffron party had only won 16 seats, against 31 in 2013, while the Congress had won 30 in 2018, against 15 in 2013.

Speaking at the event, Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Today is the day of social revolution.”

Highlighting the salient features of the Act, he said that it would give the self-governing rights of water, forest and land to the tribals and no room will be left for those persons who will try to grab the land of villagers by conversion, deceit or by any manipulations.

“Many times tribal sisters got deceived into marriage through allurement and sometimes conversion used to take her land. We will not allow such acts in Madhya Pradesh. Gram sabhas will intervene in such cases,” said Chouhan, while emphasising tribal conversions.

President Murmu, who visited Madhya Pradesh for the first time, said, “Looking at the challenges of climate change and global warming, one needs to learn from the lifestyle of tribals and their commitment to the conservation of forest and animals,” she said.

Talking about gender ratio, she pointed out, gender equality is a lesson that all must learn and imbibe from the tribal society. “Gender ratio in tribal society is better than the general population.”

Welcoming the implementation of PESA, tribal outfits pointed out that the gram sabha has given partial executive powers and all the financial powers have been kept out of their ambit.

Speaking to NewsClick, Congress MLA and convener of Tribal outfit, JAYS, Hiralal Alawa pointed out, “Madhya Pradesh tribals, who have the highest population in the country, have waited almost 26 years for this law. The BJP has been in power for almost 18 years and came to the senses after losing half of the tribal seats in the 2018 assembly elections.”

“While passing the law, the Parliament has urged the states to enact the law on the lines of the sixth schedule to empower tribes and prevent them from exploitations. Besides, the crux of this law is to empower gram sabha in tribal blocks. But how can anyone be empowered with partial executive powers and with no financial powers?” he asked.

Speaking to NewsClick about the newly passed PESA, Gulzar Singh Markam- National President of Gondwana Samagra Kranti Andolan, said, “The suggestions we have given to the government to frame rules have been ignored. Besides, financial powers have not been given to the gram sabha or the village government. We can understand it with an example; the Madhya Pradesh government would be given all executive powers to run the state. But the Union government would handle the finance.”

“With the implementation of PESA, the state is running away from implementing the fifth schedule in tribal blocks which we have been demanding for years,” he said. “Scheduled areas should be governed by tribal blocks according to the law. But many tribal blocks have been declared or added in Nagar Panchayat or Nagar Palika which is unconstitutional,” he pointed out.

Yet, addressing a PESA awareness rally at tribal block Kesla in Narmadapuram on Thursday, CM Chouhan said, “Tribals have rights over water, forests and land and the state government is ensuring that they get them. In order to empower the indigenous groups and provide prosperity to their lives, the state has established the PESA Act.”

Lashing out at the BJP for the delay and laxity in enacting the law, Congress State Media Vice President Bhupendra Gupta said, “Shivaraj Singh Chouhan is taking credit for the work that our government has already done 27 years ago. Yet, he failed to address the main objectives of the law.”

He pointed out, “On the recommendations of the Dilip Singh Bhuria Committee, the Congress government had already implemented the PESA Act. The short-lived Kamal Nath government, Congress, was working on PESA rules.”

He said that Congress has already implemented the PESA Act in spirit. “The major rights vested in it have already been protected by making rules. According to Section 165 (6) of the Land Revenue Code, a provision has already been made to ban the purchase and sale of tribal lands. Second major right: If the land of a tribal has been bought and sold on the basis of the wrong intention, then Congress has already ensured the right to take it back under section 170. Irregular moneylending has been completely banned in the scheduled areas under the Three-Moneylending Act. And under the Excise Act, our previous governments have already given legal permission to produce liquor in a traditional way to some extent under the local traditions,” Gupta added.

After losing considerable seats in the 2018 assembly polls, the BJP launched a tribal outreach programme when it returned to power after toppling the 15-month-long Kamal Nath government with the support of Jyotiraditya Scindia.

The BJP has announced making forest dwellers the ‘owners’ of forests, converting 827 out of the 925 forest villages into ‘revenue’ villages. Implementation of PESA, setting up memorials and museums highlighting the participation of tribal leaders in the freedom struggle and legalising Mahua- a staple drink of the tribals, which will be sold as heritage liquor. Renaming railway stations, colleges and areas after tribal icons.

CM Chouhan also announced to drop of petty cases registered against tribals most of which are related to the production and sale of Mahua, besides home delivery of PDS ration in all the 89 tribal blocks of the state.

Salient features of the Act

Every gram sabha will have a president, who will be elected either unanimously or by a majority vote for a year.

– The secretary of the gram panchayat will be the ex-officio secretary of all “gram sabhas” constituted under that gram panchayat.

– A gram sabha can also decide whether to give contracts for sand mines, ballast and stones or not.

– The gram sabha will give consent for the management of the ponds, fisheries, and cultivation of water chestnuts that falls under their panchayat.

– Only licensed loan vendors can operate and provide loans to villagers. They will have to provide details of interests charged to the gram sabhas and if they are charged higher interest action would be taken against them.

– In the case of beneficiary schemes the gram sabha will decide who will get the benefit first.

– Without approval of the gram sabha no new liquor shop can be opened.

– In the event of an FIR against any villager, gram sabha will be informed.

– The village committee will also have the authority to carry out inspections of schools, health centres, Anganwadi centres and ashram schools.

– A gram sabha should have at least 1/4th of its total members or 100, whichever is less to meet, 1/3rd of them would be women. – In the event of considering the issues of land acquisition, rehabilitation, return of land or an issue concerning community assets, the presence of 50% members of the gram sabha members would be necessary.

– The panchayat funds will be provided as per the provisions of section 66 of the MP Panchayat Raj & Gram Swaraj Act 1993.

– The proposal brought before the gram sabha will be passed unanimously to the extent possible or by majority voice if unanimity is not possible. In case of objection to a proposal, villagers can raise the objection before the “gram sabha” within 15 days after the proposal is passed.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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