Dalits, tribals rebuff overtures of parties

Elections are round the corner and both - Congress and BJP - are trying to woo the Dalit and tribal voters. Both the parties are touring and holding political rallies in tribal and Dalit-dominated areas. One party has constituted a nomadic and de-notified cell, while the other has activated its Vanwasi and Bharat Vikas Parishad to gain the sympathy of tribals, Dalits and de-notified tribes in the state. But now, local tribal leaders have started doubting the ‘love’ that political parties claim to have for the downtrodden and Dalits, especially when the elections are approaching. They want to know why political parties don’t give Dalit and tribal leaders important positions in their government.

Madhusudhan Singh, who strongly advocates the formation of Bhil state in Banswara region, said, “Times have changed. How can both the parties rely on tribal and Dalit voters. The Dalits and tribals have been traditional vote banks of the Congress, but the party has never elevated any Dalit or tribal candidate to the post of chief minister or PCC chief.

”BJP doesn’t have a Dalit chief in the state. A senior Congress leader who was earlier in the BSP said, “The BJP is considered to be a party of a few castes, and Congress claims to be a party of 46 castes. But most of the office bearers in PCC are either Jats or those belonging to general category.”Presently, all parties, including the third front, are eyeing Dalit and tribal voters, who have now started demanding more political representation. A Dalit leader from Karauli said, “BJP and Congress blame each other of being caste and cadre-based parties. Both parties ignore tribals and Dalits when it comes to assigning them posts in their organisations.” However, both BJP and Congress leaders are of the view that the selection of the chief minister is not influenced by any caste.

“In Congress, it’s the legislators who take the final call on chief minister’s post. The decision has nothing to do with any caste,” said a Congress leader.