Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's decision to set up special development councils for the state's nine tribal dominated districts is mostly aimed at appeasing tribal voters, keeping in view of the 2019 general election as tribals constitute 22 per cent of the state’s population and 10 per cent of the nation's tribal population. The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up the development councils in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur. With these councils, the government wants to give tribals a more respectable identity.
“These councils shall take up cultural,educational and economic development in harmony with the unique identity and ethos of the people,” the CM said.
When the chief minister said, “growth is not about statistics. It has a holistic dimension,” he was perhaps stressing the need to maintain the cultural uniqueness of tribals.
To put it simply, the ruling Biju Janta Dal is trying to counter the BJP's aggressive tribal wooing strategy as in the panchayat polls held in February, the saffron party had improved its position in the state particularly in tribal areas.
The chief minister's statement that “Odisha is marked by its pluralism and diversity” could be a message to the saffron party as under BJP led-NDA, pluralism is under attack in the country.
In fact, Patnaik, known for his secular credentials, had broken his party’s decade-long alliance with the BJP after the communal flare up in Kandhamal district in 2008 in which the Sangh Parivar was allegedly involved.
If state’s political landscape is taken into consideration, traditionally Congress had dominance in tribal zones. The BJD was strong mainly in coastal districts where population consists both dalits and general class. When the BJD and the BJP started an alliance in late '90s, the saffron party contested from western and tribal regions whereas the BJD remained confined to coastal and central Odisha.
After the alliance broke and both parties contested separately in 2009 general election, BJP faced defeat. Even in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP could win only one seat from the state despite the Modi wave. The lone winner was Juel Oram who got elected from the tribal district of Sundergarh. Oram has been allotted the tribal affairs ministry.
Oram has been trying to be the voice of dalits and to strengthen the BJP in the state although he is not considered the party’s chief ministerial candidate. He opposed the proposal to give Khandadhar iron ore mines to South Korea’s POSCO when the company sought to set up a mega steel plant at Paradip.
Recently, Oram has demanded that kendu leaf sale be handed over to gram sabhas as mostly tribals are engaged in it.
BJP’s woman leader from Mayurbhanj district Draupadi Murmu has been made governor of Jharkhand. She is the first tribal as well as first woman governor from Odisha. Murmu, whose name was also doing the rounds during the presidential elections, was a minister in the BJD-BJP alliance government in the state.
The BJP has been taking tribal leaders into its fold from other parties as well. Giridhar Gamang, former chief minister and a veteran Congress leader, joined BJP and recently Jayaram Pangi, a senior BJD leader and former minister too came to the saffron fold.
Though with Rs 1 per kg rice scheme Patnaik has managed to gain further popularity among the poor, his latest move of forming development councils in tribal districts is indeed a strong political measure. This step is also aimed at wooing different subgroups among tribals.
The state has 62 distinct scheduled tribes, 13 of which belong to the ‘particularly vulnerable tribal groups’.
CM Patnaik said, “In a democratic system based on majority, it is our experience that many tribal groups do not get represented directly in higher decision making fora. It is in this context that formation of development councils is significant. These councils have representation from every tribe present in the district. They will have decision making powers and the financial resources to preserve, promote and develop their unique socio-cultural identities and their economic capacities. All the 62 tribes will have representation in these councils.”
“It is felt that decision will help preserve, honour and celebrate the unique cultural identity of every tribe while bringing about truly inclusive growth. About Rs 1.5 crore will be allotted to each block under these councils and a total of Rs 175.50 crore will be spent per annum through these councils which is over and above existing schemes,” the CM said.
Patnaik, who described the decision as a “historic one for the cause of tribal empowerment and equitable growth” also referred to the issues raised by leaders like Oram without mentioning his name. “We lead the country in the settlement of land under Forest Rights Act. Making kendu leaf pluckers as partners and giving dividend and bonus to them is a case study in empowerment and participatory growth.”
Decrying Oram’s suggestion for kendu leaf pluckers, senior BJD leader Jogendranath Tripathy, who is the general secretary of Odisha Kendupatta Karmachari Sangha, said Oram’s proposal goes against the interest of lakhs of tribal, dalit and women kendu leaf pluckers of Odisha who are now actual beneficiaries of state government’s affirmative kendu leaf policy. The gram sabha idea will help businessmen who will take over the trade from poor pluckers, he claimed.
However, two former chief ministers Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang, both tribal leaders, said the formation of development councils in tribal dominated districts won’t serve any purpose. “What will be the gain from a council? There is a western Odisha development council for western districts without any remarkable achievement. There are many schemes for tribals and there are integrated tribal development agencies in tribal areas. Different organisations and schemes are there to handle all issues of tribals. It is important that implementation of existing schemes and provisions is ensured by government,” Biswal said.
Tribals are a big vote bank in Odisha and because of their support for late Indira Gandhi, many Congress leaders have been winning in the tribal districts. Even Biju Patnaik didn’t have as much support from tribals as the Congress has. It is only quite natural then for the chief minister to take steps to woo them.
