 Bhubaneswar,
Nov 8: Years of neglect, lack of support both from the Centre and the
State and displacement due to industrialization has forced the adivasis to
join the Naxal ranks, observed eminent historian Ramchandra Guha.
Focusing on the plight of adivasis while presenting the Pradyumna Bal
Memorial lecture on the leader's 75th birth anniversary here on Thursday, he
felt the rising Naxal menace could have been tackled effectively had the
Government Operationalised the 5th schedule of the Constitution guaranteeing
their right over the land.
"It has dishonored its policies for their uplift. As a result, neither
they have been properly rehabilitated nor long-term strategies drawn to bring
them to the mainstream, " he rued.
While adivasis constitute just eight percent of the population, they make
up for over 40 percent of the displaced people in the country.
Describing their condition as an outcome of a unique' predicament', he
underlined key factors such as lack of presence in the national stage and
geographical isolation for their prevailing state. " They are even worse
off than Dalits," he noted.
This is mainly because Dalits had a leader like B.R.Ambedkar in them . He
still continues to inspire the community. In contrast, Adivasis have none.
Dalits have elected representatives taking up their issues in Parliament, but
there is no adivasi leader who can ventilate their plight.
Being minuscule minority and isolated, they have even failed to influence
vote bank politics. As a result, there has been a general absence of the
community in the political agenda. Consequently, they have taken up arms. But
things can be changed for better, provided their is a concerted effort from
all sections to alleviate their sufferings, Guha asserted.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke on the occasion. Pradyumna Bal's wife
Saswati Bal gave away the Pradyumna Bal Memorial award to Kalahandi based
social activist Udit Narayan Pradhan.
The function was organised by Pradyumna Bal Memorial Trust and attended by
BPUT Vice Chancellor Prof Omkarnath Mohanty, trust member Sambit Bal, KIIT
Chancellor Achyut Samant and others.
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