All India tribal meet in Vizag on May 21

VISAKHAPATNAM: Tribal leaders and intellectuals from different states of India will organise an All India Tribal Convention in Visakhapatnam on May 21 this year.

More than 550 delegates from different tribal inhabited states will participate in the day-long convention, which will discuss different issues that are affecting the lives of tribal communities in India.

Addressing media here on Saturday, Mukti Satyam, a Telangana-based tribal leader and convener of Akhila Bharata Adivasi Sadassu Nirvahaka Committee, said a 17-member preparatory committee has been formed for organising the programme.

Satyam said tribals constitute nine per cent of the country's population. They are facing a serious crisis as pro-corporate policies of RSS, BJP, and Modi-led government are causing havoc in the lives and livelihoods of tribal communities.

This government is weakening all hard-earned rights of tribals, including the historic Forest Rights Act 2006. This act is being diluted to facilitate the takeover of forests by corporates.

In this regard, the tribal leader pointed out that the latest Forest Conservation Rules – 2022 facilitates handing over vast tracts of forest lands to corporates. This will lead to lakhs of tribals getting evicted from their lands and forests, affecting their livelihoods.

Satyam said instead of properly implementing the Forest Rights Act, governments, like that of Telangana, are forcibly taking back forest land given to tribals, which they have been cultivating for generations