Indian Tribal News Service
New Delhi/Jaipur
Apparently taking a cue from the successful farmers’ agitation, Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Steel and one of the senior tribal leaders of BJP, Faggan Singh Kulaste, has exhorted the tribal communities to take an aggressive stand and agitate against the Government to stake claim to reservations in the private sector given that the Centre is out privatizing the public sector companies.
His remarks, unexpected of a Union Minister against his own government, came while addressing the 16th National Conference of Tribal Development Council in Jaipur as the chief guest.
Kulaste said since government companies are being privatized, the government should implement reservation in the private sector also. “If the government does not do this, then we should also start an agitation against the government to implement reservation in the private sector,” he said.
The Union Minister called for taking “an aggressive stand and agitate against our leaders and political parties”. “Only then will we be heard.. If reservation is abolished then our people will not get any benefit,” he said.
‘We should worry about promotion and filling the backlog. We have also lodged a protest with the Parliamentary Committee objecting to the recruitment of other sections against the backlog.
He also said the ST community should actively work together on issues of land revenue rights to the tribal people in forest areas and also be a party to any PIL on the issue in any court.
Kulaste further exhorted the tribals to show their strength in the elections to send a message to the political parties that without them a government cannot be formed.
A resolution of 17 demands was passed in the conference, which had the participation of MP Arjun Lal Meena, former MP Somji Bhai Damor, former Union Minister Arvind Netam and former Jharkhand Minister Geetashree Oraon among others.
