Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has initiated an inquiry into a series of contentious questions on the Bhil tribe asked in an examination conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission on Sunday, including one presuming its criminal nature.
‘Respected tribals’
“In my lifetime, I have always respected and honoured tribals and Bhils,” the Chief Minister wrote on Twitter on Monday. “For this condemnable act, those responsible should surely be punished, so that it is not repeated in the future.”
In the preliminary examination, one of the questions, based on a passage on the tribe, read: “The primary reason for the criminal nature of Bhils is”, with the four options as “inability to pay liabilities”, “working with honesty”, “carrying out immoral work” and “migrating from villages”.
“I have done several works for the betterment and uplift of this category,” wrote Mr. Nath. “I have been connected to this category since the beginning. Even my government is committed to their uplift and has been continuously working for it.”
