Bhopal, June 20: Jitu Patwari, the president of the Congress party’s Madhya Pradesh unit, has accused the government of infringing on the rights of tribal communities. He raised serious concerns about the ongoing attacks on tribal rights, including issues related to land, education, employment, security, and dignity.
Patwari stated that approximately 15.3 million tribal individuals reside in Madhya Pradesh, yet the government has severely harmed their lives, dignity, and rights.
He alleged that the law clearly prohibits non-tribals from purchasing tribal land without proper government authorization. However, according to data presented in the assembly, over 126,000 hectares of tribal land have been transferred across the state in recent years. He emphasized that tribes are the true guardians of water, forests, and land, yet the government is destroying forests in the name of development.
Patwari claimed that the Forest Rights Act, implemented during former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure, is being openly violated in Madhya Pradesh, depriving tribal communities of their legal rights.
He pointed out that there is widespread corruption in programs aimed at educating and empowering tribal communities. Complaints of significant irregularities in schemes for tribal students have been consistently reported.
Patwari demanded that children from tribal communities receive free and quality education from primary levels up to medical, engineering, and higher education. He also noted that nearly 153,000 backlog positions reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have remained unfilled for years, deliberately leaving thousands of qualified youth with uncertain futures.
Citing assembly data, he revealed that in recent years, nearly 200,000 tribal women and girls have gone missing or fallen victim to human trafficking. This situation is alarming and concerning.
He criticized the government for promoting the ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme while failing to ensure the safety of tribal sisters.
Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau indicate that Madhya Pradesh ranks among the top states for atrocities against tribal individuals. Patwari accused the government of running a large-scale transfer industry in the state, claiming that a scandal initially estimated at ₹200 crore has now escalated to a ₹500 crore operation.
He announced that if the Congress party comes to power, there will be a fair investigation into tribal land deals, displacement, violations of forest rights, backlog recruitment, women’s safety, and transfer scandals, with strict action against the guilty. Protecting the land, forests, and rights of tribal communities is not just a political issue; it is a fight for social justice and constitutional values. The Congress party will continue to fight this battle with full strength.
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