Former minister and member of the state coordination committee, Bandhu Tirkey, on Sunday categorically announced that he would not allow the delimitation of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly constituencies in the state to have any negative impact on the reserved tribal seats. He also asserted that attempts are being made in other states, under the guise of delimitation, to reduce the number of constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes. “But it will not be allowed to happen in Jharkhand. If such an attempt is made, it will be met with vehement opposition, he added. Addressing the media after a marathon meeting on delimitation at Ranchi Press Club, Tirkey said that only the Congress can effectively fight for issues concerning the tribal community. He criticized political parties for engaging in unnecessary blame games while several crucial issues require urgent attention.
Referring to the use of the term “Vanvasi” (forest dweller) for tribals by home minister Amit Shah at a recently held tribal gathering organized by Janjati Suraksha Manch in Delhi, he questioned whether tribals living in cities would then be called “city dwellers.” Congress leader Sukhdeo Bhagat, academicians, and social activists from across the state also attended the meeting to deliberate on the possible impact of delimitation on Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seats. Besides, other issues including the implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act) were also discussed.
Several resolutions were adopted during the meeting. It was resolved to launch a campaign on the issue of delimitation from the streets to legislative forums. As part of the action plan, a state-level “Tribal Mahajutan Rally” will be organized on August 2. It was also decided that a delegation would submit memorandums to the President of India and the Governor. An all-party meeting has been scheduled for June 17 to bring all political parties on a common platform, while another meeting focusing on organizational and movement-related concerns will be held on June 24. Congress’ Lohardaga MP Sukhdeo Bhagat proposed that an all-party meeting will be organized in New Delhi on the same lines as the one planned in Jharkhand. A draft committee comprising tribal intellectuals and legal experts was also constituted to prepare a detailed framework on the delimitation issue. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sukhdeo Bhagat said that while the government promotes family planning, tribal communities are now facing the prospect of reduced political representation because of lower population growth. He expressed concern that the number of ST-reserved seats could decline to 22 after delimitation, describing it as a form of political displacement.
Bhagat said that tribal communities have contributed land, forests, and mineral resources for national development, and therefore any reduction in their political representation raises serious concerns. He clarified that they are not opposed to delimitation itself but insist that any changes in the number of seats must be fair and proportionate. During the meeting, all speakers emphasized that, under no circumstances, the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes should be reduced during the delimitation process; instead, the possibility of increasing these seats should be given serious consideration.
