Rahul Gandhi Begins Yatra in Maharashtra, Promises Caste Census

Mumbai: In a bid to woo the country’s tribal population ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday promised a slew of sops for tribals during the Maharashtra leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

“If Congress comes to power, the Forest Rights Act or the Land Acquisition Act that was ‘weakened’ under the BJP regime will be strengthened again. We will include villages with more than 50 per cent tribal population in the ‘sixth schedule’ (of the Constitution) so that local-level decisions cannot be implemented without tribals’ consent,” he said.

Promising the caste census, Gandhi said, “Once we come to power, the Congress will carry out a caste census and an economic and financial survey across the country so that we will have the exact data of each caste and its representation in the population. A legislation will also be brought to provide guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm and forest produce.”

Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre wrote off the debt of many corporate houses, but no such relief was given to tribals, he claimed.

Gandhi started the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the tribal-dominated Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. Describing Adivasis as the ‘original owners of the country,’ he said tribals make up eight per cent of India’s population and the Congress would ensure that they get a proportionate stake in the development.

“Tribals have the first right to water, forest and land in this country, but the BJP is depriving tribals of their rights as forest dwellers and denied them access to the jungles. The BJP keeps calling you ‘vanvasi’ but destroys your forests and gives them to Adanis. The rights of tribals on water, forest and land will be kept intact (during the Congress government),” he said.