The Modi Government is creating museums in the five BJP-led states. It has drawn a concept note and the plan will be implemented in the five BJP-ruled states by the Central Ministry for Tribals. The rationale is that the “tribals” contributed to the Independent movement, but their names are not heard and only a few of them, like Birsa Munda, are known and the majority are unknown. The tribal freedom fighters will be celebrated in the five BJP-led states.

Why is Hindutva politics suddenly veering towards the tribals?

It is also true that RSS has been grooming the “Tribals” to become foot soldiers of Hindutva. In the Gujarat riots, the Tribals were pushed to the front of the Hindutva soldiers. So why are the “Tribal” Freedom Fighters suddenly became dearer to the Hindutva?

Let us first understand what is being “tribal” in India. Tribal is a wide category in which not only traditional “tribals” are included, but also citizens living in the difficult geographical terrain. The category can include broadly two groups of Tribals: the original inhabitants and the citizens who live in the difficult and far-fetched geographical terrains. The single definition of tribal is illusory and hence we may have to understand “Tribals” as a loaded term with many definitions to capture it.

The tribals are not Hindus and it was made clear by the census of 1911.

The population of Tribals in India is 9 percent according to NSSO data. And the tribal population is scattered throughout India. They have geographical pockets as well and they can be located throughout the length and breadth of India. As it was pointed out in the census, the Tribals were not the part of Hindu religion. They are India’s original inhabitants of India. Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are the tribal majority states. Just like there is a confusion over the identity of the Dalits, the tribal identity is also confusing. The constitutional identity is clear, which become the basis for the Affirmative policy. The dominant tribal caste in terms of bureaucracy is Meena from Rajasthan. It is difficult to know the history of Tribals, just like the social histories of other communities, but Tribals in India are rich in terms of their cultural heritage and the great conservator of eco-system.

So the 9 percent population is a big number in the electoral politics and the fractions scattered all over India if aggregated make millions and therefore a big political force. That is why the Hindutva politics is out to grab this bloc and hence this celebration of “freedom fighters”. Historically, the fight for freedom of “land” was the fight for “who will get the power over that land”. The power was transferred to the Congress, the only organised party led by the Brahman-Bania. This began to change as the social movements in India became stronger and stronger. Though India is a constitutional democracy, the state failed to reach to the remotest of the tribal heartlands in central India. However, the tribal heartlands were exploited by mining mafias, and the land-grabbing caused so much suffering to the Tribals. As is the common strategy of Hindutva forces, they began with the mass Hinduisation of the Tribals. And the change in nomenclature: the RSS started calling them Van-vasi (Forest Dwellers), instead of Adi-vasis (The original inhabitants). The change in nomenclature is very confusing for the tribals, but this is what RSS all about. Create confusion over the identities and then use that confused identity in the political chess of “divide and rule”.

The first celebration of “Tribal” heroes was started by the social movements in India, particularly, BAMCEF, which advocated a rainbow alliance of Dalits, Tribals, OBCs, and converted Minorities. The Dalit movement was particularly keen to include “Tribal” as the “Dalits” in the common fight against Brahmanism. The tribal states are hijacked by the Hindutva/BJP and this is very strange because, in the states of Chattisgarh, the Tribals can form their own governments. But like Dalits, the tribals are divided. This division ultimately benefits the common enemy of them, politically and otherwise.

Like Dalits, the Tribal intellectuals are emerging. This awakening is significant as Maharashtra saw conversion to Buddhism of over 34 castes that mainly included NT, DNTs, and Tribals. The tribals are sure to become politically conscious, but like Dalits, they have to also strive for national consolidation and that consolidation is possible if they identify their enemy. As this writing goes to the public, the BJP/RSS is keen to keep that division alive by creating “tribal” identities around one particular “tribal” hero of that community in that given geographical region and bring them under local “Hindutva” umbrella for political gains. If the tribals get absorbed in the Hindutva fold, they will lose their independent political existence. Like the Dalits were so meticulously divided by raising caste-heroes among them by the Hindutva/RSS regime in the last elections in UP, the similar process is on among the tribals.

We do not know if the pan India political party is a possibility for the Tribals. We for sure know which way they should go. They must become independent force away from Hindutva/Hinduism, and must fight for their civil and political rights by allying with Dalits. The Hindutva and Maoist ideologues are carefully sowing the seeds of division between the natural allies: Dalits and Tribals. As a Gond writer from Vidarbha discovered the Buddhist origin of the tribals and as activists, Santhalis from Jharkhand will testify that their religion is closer to Buddhism than Hinduism, the tribals in India must find their glorious past. The frame analysis of Gondi songs shows the clear mark of Buddhism. The priority before the social movement in India is to dissolve the differences and contradictions within and emerge as an alliance to fight the battle for justice for all.

In the great political circus of India, the tribals with its population of 9 percent at the national level might not yet be a great force, but in the pockets in the BJP led states it can make or mar the political systems and determine the ruler. This is true of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. This is where the BJP/RSS is trying to raise the “Tribal” heroes as “freedom fighters” for land when what is required is the celebration of “freedom fighters” of tribals and Dalits.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist

Image Credit – Catch News

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