The Adivasi Ekta Mahajutan rally and public meeting held at Morabadi Maidan in Ranchi (Jharkhand) on August 30 saw hundreds of people participate under the leadership of Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha, with the protection of seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes in the delimitation process emerging as a major demand.
Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha state leader Nageshwar Munda, national convener Devkinandan Bedia, along with Bonda Baske, Sudama Khalkho and Aiyati Tirkey, said the new delimitation exercise could affect the proportion of ST-reserved seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. They said the Adivasi community and social organisations are concerned over the issue.
With the Centre moving ahead with the upcoming Census and caste census, discussions on delimitation have begun again on the basis of new population figures. The Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha opposed any reduction in seats reserved for Adivasis through delimitation and demanded that the reserved seats be protected.
Supporting the demands raised by the Adivasi Ekta Mahajutan rally, CPI(ML) Jharkhand State Committee demanded that the Delimitation Commission obtain the consent of Adivasi organisations before taking any decision concerning reserved seats.
CPI(ML) Liberation Jharkhand State Secretary Manoj Bhakt said the party would not accept any attempt, in the name of population ratios, to reduce the percentage of seats reserved for Adivasis or weaken their effective political representation. Any decline in the percentage or effective number of seats held by Adivasis would constitute a grave attack on the social and political position of Adivasi communities, he said.
Manoj Bhakt cautioned the Central government that any attempt to reduce the percentage or effective number of seats reserved for Adivasis would have disastrous consequences for Jharkhand.
