Adivasi communities in Mysuru district are bracing to make a case for a separate “tribal segment’’ at the grassroots level so as to ensure devolution of power to the traditional forest-dwelling community.
Notwithstanding the recent gram panchayat elections which is celebrated as a strengthening Gram Swaraj and village self-governance, the tribes feel taken for a ride as they are given short shrift in an electoral base that is predominantly non-tribal.
There is a growing consensus that self-governance by the tribal community will bring development to the hamlets as the elected representatives from their community can commiserate with subjects germane to the adivasis better than a non-tribal.
M.B. Prabhu, a development activist spearheading the cause of tribal community in Veeranahosahalli and other tribal hamlets, said there was scope to earmark tribal segments based on the population density of the adivasis in Hunsur, Periyapatna and H.D. Kote in Mysuru district. Similar tribal-dominated constituencies could be identified in Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and other parts of the State with sizeable adivasi presence and these constituencies could be reserved for the adivasis, he added.
Taking the concept forward, Development through Education (DEED), an NGO working for tribal development, will convene a meeting of adivasi community leaders in the first week of January 2021 to put forward their demand for a new reserved tribal segment.
S. Sreekanth of DEED said that in the just-concluded GP polls, the tribal communities had no say though some of them contested which only served to divide the community votes.
“Adivasis feel betrayed that the non-tribal candidates tend to get elected in local body elections and the latter can neither comprehend the issues affecting the tribals nor do they empathise with them’’, he added.
Notwithstanding years of local body polls, the condition of the adivasis has not improved and hence there is a growing consensus in favour of “tribal self-rule’’ in areas with significant adivasi population, according to Mr. Sreekanth.
These issues will be discussed in the next month’s convention and a resolution will be passed to seek declare a separate tribal segment so that even adivasis have a stake in democratic and decision-making process, Mr. Sreekanth added.
The community leaders believe Kakanakote, Sollepura, Doddbairanakuppe, Anthasante, N.Belthur, Bheemanahalli, Hanur, Neralekuppe, Doddahejjur, Rangaiahnakoppal, and Gurupura were a few constituencies that has the potential to be declared as tribal segments and reserved exclusively for adivasi candidates in the GP elections.
Mr. Prabhu said the adivasis hope to see a semblance of development if their voice was heard by someone from the community. There is a perception that adivasis can relate to burning issues related to forest rights act, employment through national rural livelihood mission, upgrading the ashram schools etc., - subjects that never gain traction as electoral issues or catch the imagination of the ‘mainstream’ candidates and voters.
