Aizawl, May 25: Experts at a dialogue held today to discuss the draft policy of the ministry of tribal affairs found the policy inadequate in addressing the country’s tribal problems and especially those of the Northeast. The dialogue, organised by the Human Rights and Law Network of Aizawl, was attended by representatives from the churches, press, retired government officials, NGOs and legal practitioners.
The experts unanimously opined that tribals of the Northeast were distinct and could not be encompassed under an all-India tribal policy umbrella as drafted in the policy.
Two former IAS officers, Lalhmingliana Saiawi and Rualzakhuma, outlined the difficulties faced by tribals in non-tribal states and said the problems of tribal states in the Northeast needed to be addressed in a different manner.
“What is most needed by tribals of the country is decentralisation of power. Unless there is autonomy for them, the policy that has been drafted by the tribal affairs ministry would amount to nothing, as the implementation process would get bogged down again.
The result would be good ideas remaining confined to a piece of paper” said Rualzakhuma.
Economist Vanlalchhawna pointed out the shortcomings in the policy saying it left out the Northeast’s tribal states as well as the issue of status of tribal women.
He said while displacement and resettlement of tribals dislodged by development projects was mentioned in the policy, it only referred to tribals under the Fifth Schedule. According to him, this is also very important for tribals identified under the Sixth Schedule.
According to the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule, indigenous people of Manipur hill area, Assam’s North Cachar Hills and Mikir Hills, Lushai Hills of Mizoram, United Khasi and Jaintia hills and Garo Hills of Meghalaya come under the tribal umbrella.
Nearly 50 hydro-electric projects are either under way or under consideration in the region.
These will displace numerous people.
The need to dwell at length on the tribals’ intellectual rights, of which a brief mention is made in the policy, was also pointed out.
Another problem brought up during the conclave regarding Mizoram was the confusion of whether Aizawl and Lunglei districts were still tribal areas.
Participants said there was confusion in this regard as the Sixth Schedule specifically mentioned only the three autonomous district council areas of the state — Chakma, Pawi and Mara — as tribal areas.
The Mizoram government, however, seems to take it for granted that the two districts are no longer tribal areas since there was no mention of them in the Sixth Schedule.