Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls: How a new tribal group is forcing the BJP and Congress to rework their strategy
In western Madhya Pradesh, a group of tribal youth organised under the banner of Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) is forcing the BJP and Congress to rework their strategy ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Set up by Dr Hira Alawa, a doctor who was till recently working at AIIMS, New Delhi, JAYS has been demanding an honest implementation of the Panchayats Extension in Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in tribal districts in the state and has decided to now contest elections to ensure that their demand is met.
Concerned over the large presence in rallies organised by JAYS, the BJP has reached out to it, with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan holding a meeting with its leadership.
The meeting seems to have been inconclusive with the political demands of the group unmet. The BJP has, however, decided to attempt blunting the edge of JAYS by announcing the setting up of a Janjati Adhikar Sabha in villages lying within the 89 tribal blocks of the state. Madhya Pradesh has not yet made rules under the PESA Act for its implementation. The Adhikar Sabha is expected to be a halfway house that meets the demands of various tribal groups on this count.
The Congress leadership, on the other hand, is also in talks with JAYS leaders who want to enter into an alliance with it. The Congress leadership is not sure about the strength of the JAYS to give into its demands of seats and is presently examining them. A group of voluntary organisations sympathetic to the Congress is also helping out in this context.
JAYS shot to popularity by questioning what mainstream parties like BJP and Congress have done for tribals. It holds both parties responsible for not empowering tribals. It is questioning the dilution of tribal culture both by the RSS and the Church in western MP. It claims that it compelled the MP government to declare a holiday on UN Day for Indigenous People on August 9.
JAYS organised a large public meeting in Dhar recently that compelled political parties to take note of their activities afresh. It has been maintaining that it will put up candidates in all 47 ST reserved assembly seats in MP and in another 80 seats where tribal vote matters. Presently, the BJP controls 31 out of the 47 seats, while the Congress has 15 and independent represents one seat.
The group had put up its candidates in student council elections held in colleges earlier this year in which it put up an impressive show in Dhar, Barwani and Jhabua districts.
(Courtesy of Mail Today)