Tribals threaten arms struggle due to Govt. apathy, starvation
Strong sentiments were echoed during the Kolam tribal protest rally organised in Vidarbha's suicide prone tribal part at Pandharkawada in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra on April 6 in which prominent leaders of Kolam community participated.
TO HIGHLIGHT their grievances against the Maharashtra government, nearly eight lakh Kolam tribals spread over Vidarbha mostly in Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Wardha districts held a non-political rally in Yavatmal on April 6. Senior Kolam leader Letuji Junghare, Tukaram Mesharam, Ramaji Atram and Shriram Metkar proposed the resolution and young Kolam leaders Sushaybhan Dhobale, Vilas Atram, Ambadas Tekam and thousand of participants supported the resolution. Thousands of Kolam tribals in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, who attended the rally said that were facing starvation and demanded food security and shelter which the state government has failed to provide them despite assurances in the High Court. It may be recalled that in June 2009, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by VJAS President Kishore Tiwari, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court had directed the state government to ensure adequate supply of food grains to these tribals and also told the State Chief Secretary to personally look into it and comply with the orders. A division bench of Justice Dileep Sinha and Justice A P Bhangale had in their order noted the failure of official machinery in providing food grains to Kolam tribals. The government had informed HC that it included Kolam tribals in the list of people below poverty line (BPL) but till date nothing has happened and the condition of Kolam tribals has further worsened. The Maharashtra government had even filed affidavits before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) twice in 2007 and 2010 that they are providing food, shelter and potable water to the tribals. But nothing of it has concretised, every time the state govt promises ‘ghakul yajana’ providing shelter but funds are diverted to pay salaries to bureaucracy, Tiwari said. “The state government has been neglecting its own people be it backward classes or tribals and it pushing them towards an arm struggle. The tribals are still facing starvation and application has been moved beofre the HC over non-compliance of court orders by the state authorities,” said Kishore Tiwari.
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