Intellectuals congregate in New Delhi to demand Tribal Status for Uttarakhandies
The convention of Uttarakhand Ekta Manch was held today at Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi demanding implementation of the 5th Schedule of the Constitution in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand and to implement tribal status for the natives of the hills.
Historians, lawyers, journalists, former administrative officers, social workers and officials of Garhwali Tribal Committee and Kumaoni Tribal Committee participated in the convention.
Anup Bisht of Ekta Manch said that the people of Uttarakhand want the same rights over their rivers, forests and mountains as other Himalayan states have.
That is why we are demanding from the Government of India to implement the 5th Schedule of the Constitution and provide tribal status like other Himalayan states.
Journalist Suresh Nautiyal said that on the basis of the documents of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the claim of Uttarakhand Ekta Manch is correct that the 5th Schedule was earlier applicable in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand, which the government snatched from us in 1972. He said that till 1995, the people of the hills used to get 6% reservation in education, that too was snatched from us by the government.
Nishant Rathan said that Garhwali and Kumaoni tribal committees will talk to the government on the basis of documents. He expressed hope that soon the fifth schedule will be implemented in the hills and the region will get tribal status.
Among the speakers, Dr. Jeetram Bhatt, former secretary of Hindi, Sanskrit, Garhwali, Kumauni and Jaunsari Academy, Sr. Journalist n former president of Uttarakhand Patrakar Parishad Delhi, Gyanendra Pandey, senior journalist and scholar Shyam Singh Rawat, Professor Ish Mishra and Dr. Harpal Singh Negi, among others, strongly advocated the implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution in Uttarakhand and granting tribal status to the region.
The benefits of the Fifth Schedule were discussed in detail in the convention.
The speakers said that implementation of the Fifth Schedule in Uttarakhand will bring many benefits such as reservation in education and jobs, rights over rivers, forests and mountains. Employment from rivers and forests will be given to the natives of the mountains instead of big companies. Only rivers and forests can provide employment to more than 2 lakh families. Our sisters and daughters will be safe under the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Act. Local people will also have the right to sell local products and natural resources.
For development, separate budget will be received from state and central government, language and culture will be protected and developed, Domicile 1950 and 100% land law will be automatically available.
It was also discussed in the convention that Domicile 1950 is available in the country only on getting tribal status. People of general category never get Domicile 1950 in the country. To get Domicile 1950, people of hills will have to get tribal status.
The President of Uttarakhand Journalists Forum, senior journalist, writer and editor of Uknationnews Sunil Negi , Mahendra Rawat, Yogeshwar Bisht, Rajendra Raturi, Vinay Nautiyal and other social workers also participated in the convention.
