Indian Tribal News Service
New Delhi
Making a strong pitch in the Lok Sabha for correcting an age-old wrong, the Government on Tuesday (April 5) pushed a Bill to include the Bhogta community in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand after removing it from the Scheduled Caste category. Rajya Sabha had passed the legislation on March 30.
The Lok Sabha passed The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill through a voice vote. Bhogtas were earlier listed as Scheduled Tribes but were later put in the Scheduled Castes list.
The other communities to have been included in the ST list are Kharwar, Deshwari, Ganjhu, Dautalbandi (Dwalbandi), Patbandi and Raut.
Countering Opposition allegation that the Bill was politically motivated, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said had it been so, then why didn’t the Congress bring in the legislation despite being so long in power.
“Congress member K Suresh said it’s political….Why didn’t you do it for political benefits when you were in power. You played politics. We are thinking (about the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes) and doing it. There is no politics in it,” Munda said.
It is part of the government’s continuous efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership to address the problems of Scheduled Tribe communities so that they become part of the mainstream and prosper, he asserted.
He said the government is working with full commitment and honesty for the welfare of the members of the Scheduled Tribes and hit out at the opposition for calling the move “political”.
Initiating the discussion on the proposed legislation, Congress member K Suresh accused the government of bringing the bill “from election point of view” and said a total of three amendment Bills were brought during the ongoing Session of Parliament for inclusion of certain communities in the Scheduled Tribe list in Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
“This is the third amendment bill that the government has brought. I have no objection. But I can understand the pressure and compulsion of the government, and the election point of view….This is not good,” Congress MP Suresh said.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) member Vijay Kumar Hansdak said objections have been raised by some leaders and members of the Bhogta community over the move to include it in the Scheduled Tribe list.
“There is so much anger among the Bhogta community due to this,” he said and urged the minister to bring the bill after considering the views of the community and holding a consultation with the Jharkhand government.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey hit out at the Congress and the JMM members, saying, “The way they opposed the bill is condemnable…. The people of Jharkhand will never forgive them.”
TMC member Pratima Mondal supported the bill but said inclusion of more castes in the Scheduled Tribe list is not enough for their progress. “More funds are required to be allocated,” she stressed.
