ADIVASI DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND ST DEMAND COMMITTEE

Agitation Programme In a meeting held on 9th March 2010, an umbrella organization of the Adivasi organizations of Assam with the name ADIVASI DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND ST DEMAND COMMITTEE was formed with Mr. Wilfred Topno as the Chief Convenor. The newly formed COMMITTE welcomed the proposed plan of the government for the formation of Adivasi Development Council only as a preparation for the full-fledged ST status for the Adivasis and the tea garden labourers soon. A group of Ministers and MLAs representing the community of Adivasis and tea garden labourers with vested political interests are lobbying to name the proposed development council as ‘Tea Tribe Development Council’. This is not only a great threat to the tribal identity of the Adivasis but much more it will deprive the Adivasis and the tea garden labourers from their constitutional rights of getting ST status. Who benefits from the name ‘Tea Tribe’ Do the common Adivasis at the grass roots, or the common tea garden labourers benefit in any way from the name ‘Tea Tribe’? No. No way. Is there any developmental schemes and funds of the central government under the name of ‘tea tribe’? No. Then who benefits from the name ‘tea tribe’? It is only the top political leaders, trade unions leaders (ACMS), tea cell leaders, among whom some of them are not even belonging to the working class, who have been enjoying the benefits of the nexus between Assam government, tea industry and ACMS. But the tea garden labourers at the grass root level have been completely marginalized, exploited for decades. These top leaders want to perpetuate the name ‘tea tribe’ so that the common people never get their constitutional rights, and thus remain illiterate, poor, underdeveloped, unorganized so that they can be easily used as mere ‘vote-banks’ and ‘mere slave labourers in the tea industry’. Is not this a great social crime against the labourers? Who is deprived due to the name ‘tea tribe’? It is definite that the name ‘tea tribe’ does not bring any benefit to the Adivasis and tea garden labourers in any way. Rather this name is derogative and insulting. Under the name ‘tea tribe’ there is neither any constitutional rights nor any developmental schemes of the central government. But ST, SC, OBC, MOBC, religious minority etc have such schemes and funds. By branding as ‘tea tribe’, Assam government has been depriving the Adivasis of such schemes and funds. From constitutional point of view, Assam government has made the status of the Adivasis and the tea garden labourers worse than OBCs and MOBCs. By branding as ‘tea tribe’ Assam government has been trying to destroy the very tribal identity of the Adivasis and consequently permanently close the possibility of getting the Scheduled status. The exploitative mechanism of naming ‘Tea Tribe’. More than 40 years ago, Assam government de-scheduled the Adivasis of Assam depriving them from their constitutional rights to education, employment, development of their cultures and languages etc. In concrete terms, Assam government has deprived the Adivasis of Assam thousands of crores of rupees which otherwise the community would have been benefiting central government in course of last 40 years. Day is coming soon when government of Assam will have to pay back to the present or future generation in retrospection. Then by branding the Adivasis of Assam and other tea garden labourers as ‘tea tribes’, it has been trying to destroy the tribal identity of the Adivasis, and permanently block the community from getting Scheduled status which their counterpart enjoy in other states of India. Assam government is the only government in the world that has branded the tea garden labourers as ‘tea tribe’ disrespecting and insulting their unique tribal and ethnic identity. Tea garden of Assam is in reality a ‘modern slave system’, and government of Assam in alliance with the tea industry and trade union (ACMS) have been exploiting the Adivasis and the tea garden labourers by branding them as ‘tea tribe’. Government of Assam always neglected to do any developmental works for the tea garden labourers under the pretext that these labourers are under the purview of tea companies. Then are the tea companies parallel states or governments? Are not the tea garden labourers citizens of India? Or are they just ‘vote-bank-citizens’ as the Assam government has been treating them ? Government has not even created mechanism to effectively implement the PLA 1951, and Assam Plantation Labour Rule, 1956. Why we demand the Development Council with the prefix as ‘Adivasi’ The term Adivasi is constitutional. It means the word Adivasi (which in strict sense in Hindi means tribal) and its equivalent meaning is found in the constitution of India. This term also gives to the group a constitutional status and privileges. The term Adivasi is inclusive. It includes all those tribes and castes of Assam whose counter-parts already enjoy ST and SC status in other parts of India. The use of term Adivasi gives more eligibility to get Scheduled Status to the Adivasis and the tea garden labourers of Assam as the term Adivasi itself constitutional status and recognition. On the other hand, the use of term ‘tea tribe’ will permanently close the door for getting scheduled tribe status. If the term ‘tea tribe’ is to be recognized by the Constitution of India then constitution needs to be amended, which is next to impossible. If the Government of Assam neglects give us our constitutional rights (ST status which is already there in the constitution) then how can one expect that government to do anything to get the word ‘tea tribe’ constitutionally recognized. The term Adivasi also means the original settlers. This in one sense best describes the tea garden labourers of Assam as they were the first to clear the thick and inaccessible jungles of Assam and turn them into profitable tea estates. Still others cleared jungles and settled as basti-dwellers. This is the greatest fight for Identity and Constitutional Rights of the Adivasis of Assam. If we lose this fight (meaning the Development Council is named as ‘tea tribe’) then we may permanently lose our identity and constitutional Rights (ST and SC status). Only a strong movement can lead to the formation of the Adivasi Development Council and getting the ST status, which we long deserve. Therefore, in its meeting held on 21st March 2010 the joint Adivasi organisations decided to hold a series of agitational programmes throughout the state of Assam. The agitation will have three major thrust areas: Inclusion of Adivasis in ST list Increment of wages in the Tea Gardens to Rs. 100/- (at par with MGREGA wage rate) Formation of Adivasi Development Council.