This is the centenary year of the Bihar-Orissa Governor's Legislative Council (Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha since 2000) formed in 1921. According to this historical fact, in 2021, 100 years of Adivasi participation, intervention and contribution in the Indian legislature and parliamentary democracy are being completed.
In 1921, for the first time, Adivasis had limited opportunity to participate in the British-ruled Indian legislature through open contests in general constituencies and reserved nominations. From where the new history of their legislative struggle along with the ground struggle begins. There is no doubt, however, that both colonial and post-colonial powers, through reservation in education and jobs and representation in the legislature-parliament, aimed to destroy the original socio-economic, political and cultural system of the Adivasis and assimilate them within themselves. Because on the one hand the power was giving education, health, employment and other developmental schemes to the Adivasis; On the other hand plundering their resources, forcibly de-rooting and displacing them from their natural ancestral settlements and demolishing their socio-economic structure (Self Governance).
At the same time, the issue is important as to what was the attitude of the colonial ruler, which carried out the 'process of democratic reforms' in the early days of the 20th century, especially after the First World War; And in the later days, what kind of discrimination has been done by the independent government of the country on the question of giving proper representation (in Jaipal Singh Munda words "Full Representation") to the Adivasis in the Indian legislature and parliamentary system.
Even then, we see that the Adivasis took advantage of this opportunity and made tremendous interventions in the new legislative structure and parliamentary democratic system to protect the right to traditional self-governance and self-determination. The Adivasis, who struggled since the colonial period, raised the questions of water, forest, land and language and culture very strongly in the Indian legislative system from 1921, and in this sequence they not only established Adivasi aspirations and politics of Adivasidom in modern Indian society, but also tried to forge the form of parliamentary democracy.
At the same time, through legislative participation and intervention, they succeeded in getting the constitutional provisions and government policies and programs made Adivasi-friendly, modified and implemented. The inclusion of 5th-6th Schedules in the Constitution, formation of Tribal Advisory Council (TAC), abolition of Criminal Tribes Act, Panchsheel, establishment of Ministry of Tribal Welfare at Center and States, PESA Act of 1996, Forest Rights Act of 2006 etc. are examples. Hardly anyone can deny the fact that the formation of the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Uttarakhand is the result of the historical struggle of the Adivasis on the ground and legislative.
Not only this, Adivasi representatives, MLAs and MPs also attacked communalism, religious bigotry, racial, caste, gender discrimination etc. Raised the major questions of the country like education, health, inflation, unemployment, corruption, socio-political violence with the full understanding of Adivasi way. Addressed linguistic and cultural issues of minorities. Stood firmly with the farmers, labourers, students, women and marginalized groups. Every effort was made to rebuild a real healthy democracy in the country.
Even today the Adivasi society of India is fighting for the establishment of the true democratic nature of the country through constitutional and peaceful means. But this hundred years of Adivasi legislative struggle and their contribution to the development of parliamentary democracy were not noticed by political writers, historians and academic scholars. If there has been any discussion on this, it is confined to figures of 'representation and participation' only. Thus Adivasi participation, intervention and contribution were completely eliminated from modern Indian political history. As a result, the way was paved in modern Indian politics to make those people the heroes and messiahs of the Adivasis who got the 'Adivasi' identity abolished in the Constitution and made a constitutional arrangement to drag them from 'community' to 'caste'.
Today, when Adivasi discourse is the most provoking social, political, literary-cultural and academic world of India, it is necessary to study and evaluate the participation, intervention and contribution made by Adivasis in the Indian legislative and democratic parliamentary system during the hundred years. Not only to give completeness to the modern political historiography of India, but also to protect the self-governance struggle of the Adivasis from the oppression of the state, and also to understand their present and future political direction.
We are organizing a one-day national seminar on 26 October 2021 to take this forgotten glorious history and important Adivasi subject to Jharkhandi and the general public of the country, historians, writers and scholars. The theme of the seminar is Hundred Years of Adivasi Intervention in Indian Legislature and Parliamentary Democracy (1921-2021). It is being organized by Jharkhandi Bhasha Sahitya Sanskriti Akhra (a community organization) in collaboration with Dr. Ramdayal Munda Tribal Welfare Research Institute, Welfare Department (Government of Jharkhand).
Your creative participation will make the seminar worthwhile.Ashwini Kr. PankajSeminar ConvenerView the detailed program of the seminar here.The invitation card for the seminar is available here.Back to the seminar main page.
Welcome to all of you
You are cordially invited
One Day National Seminar on 'Hundred Years of Adivasi Intervention in Indian Legislature and Parliamentary Democracy'
In the country of Birsa, Phulo-Jhano, Maki and Jaipal Singh Munda.
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