By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar,February 27, 2016: The tribal people of the Schedule V area states like Odisha, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh are far worse than the tribal of Schedule VI included North-Eastern states of India. This is because the tribal communities of those states have got better autonomy over governance, resources and also dispensation of justice through provisions of Schedule VI than those in states like Odisha, Xaxa Committee chairman Professor Virginius Xaxa said here on Friday.

Speaking a two-day conclave on tribal issues here, Prof Xaxa said there was need to strengthen the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA) and Forest Rights Act (FRA).

“Tribal wellbeing in Schedule V areas needs to be relooked and broadened and provisions of Schedule VI areas also need to be followed in Schedule VI areas. Constitution has given a lot of scope for tribal wellbeing in Schedule V areas too. But vested interests are not letting tribal wellbeing to happen in true spirit. Governors are custodian of Schedule V areas and have got the authority and mandate to ensure tribal welfare and programmes. But they are hardly playing any active role,” he observed.

Citing numerous examples from different parts of Odisha, MLA George Tirkey said tribal areas were being subjected to rapid unfair changes through illegal administration, urbanisations, land acquisition and displacements.
Saying that the Constitution of India does not allow any other government in schedule areas than the local governments, he gave a call for ‘Our Village, Our Government’.

Dr Usha Ramanathan, a member of the Xaxa Committee, said that tribal people had got some tools against victimisation after enactment of Acts such as PESA and FRA.

“But government and especially people in the forest department are still trying with newer means to capture more land and to bar tribal people from accessing forest land and forest resources,” she said.