BJP wants to erase tribal identity; handover land to corporates, claims party leader Dr Vikrant Bhuria
NEW DELHI — Calling the Narendra Modi government anti-tribal, the Congress said tribals are being stripped of their water, forests and land everywhere, whether in Sijimali or Hasdeo. The party also flagged the looting of tribal resources by the Union government in the name of the proposed Great Nicobar development project. It was also alleged that the government was using the cover of national security to dispossess tribal communities of their land and natural resources.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here on Tuesday, Congress Scheduled Tribe Department national chairman Dr Vikrant Bhuria alleged that the BJP government intended to “bulldoze tribal forests” and facilitate the exploitation of mineral wealth by corporate groups.
Raising concerns over deforestation in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo forests, Odisha’s Sijimali region, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and the issue of delisting of tribal communities, Bhuria claimed that the BJP was systematically trying to weaken tribal identity, constitutional protections, and land rights.
Speaking about the Great Nicobar project, Bhuria said the island currently has a population of around 8,000. Still, the government plans to settle nearly five lakh outsiders there under the proposed development initiative. He alleged that nearly one crore trees would be cut for the project and claimed that plans for large-scale townships and casinos were part of the proposal.
He further alleged that the entire island would eventually be handed over to industrialist Gautam Adani, asserting that this was the BJP government’s ultimate objective.
Bhuria expressed concern over the impact of the project on the Shompen tribe, describing it as one of the world’s most vulnerable indigenous communities with a population of only around 200 people remaining. He noted that Great Nicobar has been recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and accused the government of ignoring ecological sensitivities.
The Congress leader also highlighted the island’s seismic vulnerability, noting that the region falls in an extremely sensitive earthquake zone. Settling lakhs of people there, he said, would expose them to grave risks.
He further argued that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands act as a climatic shield for mainland India, playing a key role in the monsoon system. Massive deforestation in the region, he warned, could adversely affect rainfall patterns and contribute to drought conditions in the mainland.
On the issue of the Uniform Civil Code and tribal delisting, Bhuria described them as “a major attack on tribal rights”. He alleged that the BJP intended to divide tribal communities and reduce their population figures to weaken reservation benefits and reduce the number of reserved Assembly and Lok Sabha seats.
Bhuria also alleged that government officials were being informally instructed to avoid recording tribal identities under the Scheduled Tribe category in official housing-related data entries.
Criticising the BJP for projecting tribal leaders in constitutional and political positions, Bhuria termed it “mere symbolism”. He said forests in Hasdeo were cut during the tenure of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, while alleged atrocities against tribals were continuing in Odisha’s Sijimali area without adequate response from the state government or the President.
Countering claims made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding increased budgetary allocations for tribal welfare, Bhuria questioned why malnutrition and poverty remained highest among tribal communities if the funds were actually being spent on them.
The Congress leader further accused authorities of branding tribals as Maoists and targeting them in alleged fake encounters. Referring to an incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district, he said he had raised the issue in the assembly, but the government had failed to provide satisfactory answers.
