SOCIAL ACTIVISTS of Ukhand REITERATE THEIR DEMAND TO GIVE TRIBAL STATUS TO MOUNTAIN AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF UTTARAKHAND
Dehradun, 28 July 2024:
Uttarakhand Ekta Manch today held a meeting at the Doon Library auditorium here to highlight its demand — to give status of tribe to all the mountain and indigenous communities of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
Anoop Bisht of the Uttarakhand Ekta Manch said that the people of the state want the same rights over their rivers, forests, mountains like the other Himalayan states.
On the basis of the documents of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Ekta Manch claims that Tribe Status and 5th Schedule were applicable in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand in the past.
These rights, however, were taken away by the government in 1972.
Prominent historians, lawyers, journalists, constitutional experts, leaders of some political organisations, activists, NGOs, former bureaucrats, and conscientious citizens of the state participated in the convention.
Garhwali Tribal Committee and Kumaoni Tribal Committee were also announced on the occasion, which will initiate a dialogue with the government on the relevant issues.
A convention will also be organised in Delhi on August 18 on the same issue. The representatives of several Uttarakhand organisations from all over the country will participate in the convention.
