Intro: Three day workshop on Vision 2020 Document for STs by Kalyan Ashram and Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini
Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodini jointly organised a three-day national workshop at Keshav Srishti from February 6 to 8. A total of 112 delegates from 12 states discussed various issues concerning the Vanvasis.
Dr JK Bajaj compiled the outcome of three-day discussion into four sections. The recommendations regarding natural resources and mining include formulation of a comprehensive national mining policy, effective efforts to curb illegal mining, safe closer of the mines after mining and sharing profit with the people affected or displaced due to mining.
About forest protection the workshop stressed the need to decide the community forest rights undertaking special campaign and this work should be undertaken in Mission Mode. The plots granted to the Vanvasis under Forest Law should be recognised as revenue document. The workshop also stressed the need to formulate effective mechanism and schemes for processing of forest products, value addition and sale.
The recommendation regarding propagation of education include special campaign for women literacy, primary education in all Vanvasi areas in mother tongue, connecting education with skill development rather than connecting entire school education with skill development, arrangements for capacity building in higher and competitive exams, and arrangements for patent or protection of intellectual property of the technique, biodiversity and skills associated with the Vanvasis.
The recommendations about administrative reforms include creation of permanent secretariats for Tribal Administrative Councils (TAC) created in the states under Fifth Schedule; national campaign to make the Village Panchayats and completion of National Tribal Policy, which is under formulation for the last 15 years.
RSS Sahsarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale said that while talking about employment generation for Vanvasis one should not forget that the topic is not connected with production and employment, rather it is the lifestyle of the Vanvasis and no activity should affect it in a negative way.
Presiding over the concluding ceremony Maharashtra Governor Shri C Vidyasagar Rao assured that he would work for the benefit of the Vanvasis. He said he has already created a special cell in his office for Vanvasi areas.
Union Minister Jual Oram said the recommendations of the workshop would prove to be highly effective for the betterment of Vanvasis. He assured the gathering to bring the pending National Tribal Policy soon. He said the recommendations of the workshop would also be useful for the proposed policy.
Kalyan Ashram president Shri Jagdeoram Oraon said the Vanvasis are still following good values of life and it should be ensured that those values should not be lost in the race of
modernity.
Prominent among those who participated in discussion included former member of Tribal Commission Shri Dilip Singh Bhuria, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Arjun Munda, Minister of State Shri Sudarshan Bhagat, Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly Shri Dinesh Oraon, Tribal Affairs Minister of Maharashtra Shri Vishnu Savra, Shri Ramesh Tavadkar from Goa, former IAS Shri JB Tubid etc. scholars from various educational institutions and research institutes were also present on the occasion.
Earlier on February 6, Shri Vishnukant unfolded the problems and challenges being faced by the Vanvasis. He said the policies formulated by the governments have proved partially beneficial for the people therefore formulation of a National Tribal Policy is need of the hour for long term benefits for the Vanvasis. He expressed concern that despite recommendations by various Commissions constituted by the government work on the Tribal Policy has not been completed. He said land acquisition, displacement and rehabilitation, forest rights, Panchayat laws are the issues which need immediate attention.
