Report Two-day national seminar on Scheduled Tribes in Raipur Focus on all-round development of janjatis-KS Sudarshan

“INDIA always stood for the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Due to this the factors strengthening social harmony and brotherhood remained stronger in our country. There have been no serious efforts for the development of janjati people who formed a major chunk of the Indian population after Independence. On the contrary efforts were made to keep them as they are and the Christian missionaries have taken advantage of this isolation. There is a dire need to ensure all-round development of janjatis,” said former RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri KS Sudarshan.

Shri Sudarshan was addressing the valedictory function of the two-day national seminar on Scheduled Tribes (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) organised by Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Evam Jan Sanchar Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur on April 25. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh was the chief guest while PWD, Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Brij Mohan Agrawal presided over the concluding ceremony. Besides, Higher Education Minister Shri Hemchandra Yadav, Forest Minister Shri Vikram Usendi and Jharkhand Minister of Cooeprative and PDS Shri Badkunwar Gagrai were also present on the occasion.

Shri Sudarshan said India is passing through turbulent times but this is an indication of the good days ahead. Spiritualism is peculiar to Indian social psyche and this alone would save the humanity from total decay in days to come.

Dr Raman Singh assured that his government would take all possible steps to take the fruits of development to the people living in remote and inaccessible areas of the state. Shri Brij Mohan Agrawal, Tribal Welfare Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, Shri Hemchandra Yadav and Jharkhand Minister Shri Badkunwar Gagrai also spoke on this occasion.

Earlier inaugurating the seminar on April 24 Governor of Chhattisgarh Shri Shekhar Dutta called for aligning and mixing with the janjatis who have preserved the culture and faith of their forefathers braving all odds. He said that the role played by these janjatis in freedom struggle should be inspiring to all the citizens. He said Naxalism is the largest threat for development in janjati areas. Along with Chhattisgarh, the Naxal violence has directly affected the development process in neighbouring states also.

Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, MP Tribal Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Chhattisgarh Tribal Welfare Minister Kedar Kashyap, president of Kalyan Ashram Jagdeoram Oaron, BJP MP from Orissa and former Union Minister Shri Juel Oram, former Himachal Governor Shri Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje, VHP central secretary Shri Mohan Joshi, Shri Rajendra Chaddha, Shri Mukundrao Panshikar, Shri Shrikrishna Motlag, Shri Sharad Dhole and a number of professors, research students from janjati leaders were present.

Shri Indresh Kumar said that it is wrong and in violation of the Constitution to name janjatis as adivasis. Paying homage to those 76 martyrs who fell to the bullets of Naxalites in Dantewada recently he said the menace of Naxalism could not be solved just by oversimplifying the problem. It is not just a law and order problem; neither is it related to underdevelopment. “We have to go deeper into the dynamics of Naxalite movement to find a lasting solution. Who provides them arms, ammunition, funds, ideology, training etc ? Who have interests in weakening and balkanizing the country?” He said the Maoists have an army of one lakh recruits and they believe in the ideology of ‘power through bullets’. “We will have to deal with this problem at two levels-one, at local ground level and at the same time launching development projects in Naxal-affected areas,” he emphasised.

Vice-Chancellor of the Kushabhau Thakre University Dr Sachchidanand Joshi welcomed the guests while convener of the National Seminar Dr Shahid Ali proposed a vote of thanks. Altogether 70 research papers were presented at the two-day seminar while 35 scholars expressed their views on various issues related to janjati development.

(by Virag Pachpore)