As Madhya Pradesh election nears, focus back on tribal communities

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tribals in India but is yet to have a chief minister from these communities, said Chandrashekhar Azad, president of the Azad Samaj Party, in a rally, putting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a spot of worry.

That is one reason the BJP government in the state is pinning hopes on the PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. The Act aims to ensure self-governance via traditional gram sabhas in scheduled areas dominated by tribal communities.

Madhya Pradesh recently made rules to implement the Act.

The state government is organising district-and block-level training workshops related to PESA rules. The coordinators who are being trained will work as facilitators and help tribal communities to know and access their rights.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: “I am happy that you have made up your mind to become PESA co-coordinator. Now no one will be able to grab the land of tribal brothers and sisters by deceit. People coming from outside will have to inform the Gram Sabha. If the tribal class has the right on forest produce, then their economic empowerment will also happen.”

PESA is not just an Act, it is a campaign to change the lives of tribal communities, Chouhan said.

Special gram sabhas are being held for implementing the PESA Act. The state government is trying to connect the rights and society.

According to the 2011 census 21.5 per cent of the state’s population are Scheduled Tribe (ST) while 15.6 per cent are Scheduled Caste (SC). As many as 47 of the state’s seats are reserved for STs. In 2018, the BJP won just 16 of them. Of the 35 seats reserved for the SCs, the BJP won 17.