Lok Sabha elections: BTP seeks separate religious code, land deeds for tribals

JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Tribal Party ( BTP ) has vowed to reduce the influence of Vishwa Hindu Parishad backed Vanwasi Kalyan Parishad (VKP) and Christian Missionaries (CM) in the tribal regions of Rajasthan , Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The party has stated that both the fringe groups are taking advantage of tribal people's poor socio-economic conditions by influencing their set of beliefs.

BTP, which came into existence in 2017 claiming to be the only party devoted to the cause of tribal, has contested Vidhan Sabha polls in Rajasthan promising a separate statehood for tribals. They won two assembly seats and finished second in other two seats in the state. The new party is now posing a tough challenge to BJP and Congress in tribal dominated Lok Sabha seats. The party has said it will contest from Banswara, Udaipur and Chittorgarh Lok Sabha seats.

Riding on the crest of recent poll successes, the BTP has taken a step forward by demanding land deeds for tribal under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and a separate religious code for the tribes.

BTP state president Vela Ram Ghogra told TOI, “Tribal people have accepted BTP as their political voice. It’s the right time to take a leap by raising issues threatening our existence.”

Taking on VKP and CM, Ghogra said that tribals have their unique identity which is different from all mainstream faiths. "It is high time for the adavasis to reclaim their rights, culture and faith. Both VKP and CM have been influencing poor tribals to adopt their respective beliefs. Due to our poor political representation, the mainstream political parties and religions have exploited us for decades. Now, the baton is in our hands,” said Ghogra.

The party argued that tribal people in India were out of the fold of any religion till 1950. "We were included in the Hindu faith in the 1951 census. The attempt to identify us with an existing faith has blown of our cultural identity. Our demand in this election will be to create a religious code for us and give us the independence to embrace it," said Rajkumar Roat, the BTP MLA from Chorasi in Banswara.

The tribal groups have been opposing the presence of VKP and CM in the region. Both the groups had clashed with each other over supremacy in the area several times till a decade ago. BTP accused that both the groups have been influencing the tribal population through religious places, schools and hostels.