UTTARAKHAND EKTA MANCH GIVES CALL FOR 22 ND DECEMBER TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AT JANTAR MANTAR FOR A STRONG PROTEST DEMANDING TRIBAL STATUS FOR UKHAND
The demand for giving Uttarakhand, a tribal status by including the hilly state in the fifth schedule of the constitution and its subsequent movement is gradually gaining some speed in Uttarakhand with people getting mobilised and taking due interest on this issue considering its significance for the hilly state’s overall development. The Uttarakhand Ekta Manch has in the past held several meetings and seminars in Dehradun, Haldwani, Chandigarh, Delhi and other parts and acknowledged good response from intellectuals and people from cross section of the society, especially those hailing from Uttarakhand. Apart from these meetings the activists of Uttarakhand Ekta Manch also courted arrest with Ladakh based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk demanding Uttarakhand and Ladakh to be included in the fifth and sixth schedule of Uttarakhand. Meanwhile the Uttarakhand Ekta Manch held another convention at Haldwani yesterday.
According to the UEM : An important session was organized today in Haldwani Municipal Corporation Auditorium demanding inclusion of Uttarakhand in the 5th Schedule of Constitution and providing tribal status to the entire hilly region of Uttarakhand. In this convention , various social organizations, youth leaders, writers, litterateurs and members of the hill community united and raised their voice for their rights. In the convention, key speaker Ajay Singh Rawat told that before 1972, the hilly region of Uttarakhand was under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution, the tribal areas of the country were declared under the Scheduled District Act, 1874, non-regulation areas and excluded areas. After independence, the natives of these areas were declared Tribe Status and 5th Schedule or 6th Schedule. The same tribal laws were applicable in Uttarakhand. But instead of imposing 5th Schedule on the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, this law was snatched from the hills in 1972. During this, Piyush Joshi, convenor of Uttarakhand Yuva Ekta Manch, said that the only solution to the problems of Uttarakhand is the 5th Schedule. Instead of Migration Commission, the government should save water, forest land as the mountains are becoming empty of love cal populace and expansionist China and Nepal are eyeing our hilly areas. He emphatically said that like Aksai Chin, the only solution to prevent interference by foreign powers is bringing Uttarakhand under Fifth Schedule of the constitution said Piyush.
Nishant Rauthan of Uttarakhand Ekta Manch of the program said that 80% of the people of Uttarakhand are originally from the Khas tribe. He told that our tribal status has been gradually snatched away and only by getting it back, the hilly areas of Uttarakhand will be transformed into a fully developed state said Rauthan.
The chief of UEM Anup Bisht urged one and all to reach Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 22 December in large numbers to pressurise the government to agreed to our demands.
