Bhubaneswar: As Odisha goes for the twin polls to Lok Sabha and State Assembly in less than 100 days, three major parties like Governing BJD, Opposition BJP and Congress are focused on the tribals. This is because, one in every 3.32 crore voters of Odisha is a tribal and they used to cast their votes en-masse to a particular party. There was a day when Adivasis used to vote en-masse for Congress and later changed their preference to BJD after Naveen Patnaik introduced a cheap rice scheme for the poor. BJP, has however, taken a share of the tribal votes in Odisha during the last general elections while Congress is almost rejected by the Adivasis in 2019.
Since the tribals hold the key to success in the ensuing 2024 elections, it is obvious that all the three major parties are focusing on them. The BJP boasts mostly on Droupadi Murmu’s election as the first tribal President of India. But, ED’s arrest of neighbouring Jharkhand’s ex-chief minister Hemant Soren is likely to dent BJP’s votes among the Santali voters. The BJD is likely to get advantage out of the situation as tribal population confused with the equation between the BJD and the BJP.
The Schedule Tribes (ST) accounts for over 22 percent of Odisha’s population. The Mayurbhanj district records the highest density of tribal population. Out of the 21 parliamentary constituencies in the state, five — Nabarangpur, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh — are reserved for ST candidates. Of the five LS seats, the BJD has captured two seats (Nabarangpur and Keonjhar) while the BJP candidates won in Mayurbhanj and Sundergarh, Congress has won the lone LS seat in Koraput. So far the division between the BJD and the BJP is almost equal even as more BJD candidates won in assembly seats.
Apart from the five reserved Parliamentary Constituencies, the tribal population is also high in districts of Deogarh (35 per cent), Gajapati (54 per cent), Jharsuguda (30 per cent), Kandhamal (53 per cent), Nuapada (33 per cent), Rayagada (56 per cent), Sambalpur (34 per cent). Therefore, the tribal vote bank will also impact the results of the LS seats like Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Sambalpur and Berhampur.
The issues like “Jal, Jamin, Jungle ” (water, land and forest) have all along influenced the tribal votes. Though Congress had introduced the traditional tribal rights over forest land into legally recognised land rights through the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA), the oldest party has failed to propagate the message among the tribals and the Governing BJD takes mileage from this factor by issuing land records to tribals.
Though the NDA Government has made provision of free rice, the credit mostly goes to BJD as Naveen Patnaik was the first in the country to introduce the cheap rise scheme and also successfully implemented it. The people living in forests and hills still believe that Naveen Patnaik provides them free rice. Though BJP has been trying to counter the BJD’s claim, the people at large give credit to BJD.
This apart, the BJD Government has been fighting for the waiver of GST on Kendu leaf (which is imposed at the rate of 18 per cent). This high GST has affected the livelihood of the tribals and they may vent their anger against BJP in the 2024 elections. The BJD Government for the first time has also announced MSP for different Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) and other many initiatives to woo the tribal voters. Many central government’s welfare schemes for tribals, implemented by the BJD Government fecilitates the regional party for reaping the benefits out of these programs.
The expansion of education among tribal children, particularly girls, has helped the BJD to cement its popularity among the tribal communities. The BJD has also given a clear message to the community that it has been fighting for the tribals.
Besides, the BJP’s pro-corporate and pro-industry image also helps the BJD to attract the tribal votes towards the regional party.
Though, there is no space for caste, creed and religion in Odisha Politics, Naveen Patnaik knows that tribal population matters when it comes to elections. Keeping the tribal sentiments in view, the Naveen government withdrew its plan to amend the law to allow ST people to transfer their land to non-tribals. This move of the state’s BJD Government was opposed by the opposition BJP and Congress accusing the present dispensation of acting as “anti-tribal.”
Political slugfest has started in Odisha with both the opposition and ruling party accusing each other of being “anti-tribal.” Both the BJP Government in Delhi and BJD Government in Odisha have been displaying their pro-tribal activities in the public. The Modi Government’s tribal thrust is also seen in this year’s Union Budget, with Rs 15,000 crore allotted for the PM Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Mission.
The BJP’s target is obvious. Through the PM PVTG Mission, the saffron party could easily get support of the tribals in Odisha. The state is home to the highest number of PVTGs and over 9% of the country’s tribal population.
The state’s BJD Government has also made provision of Rs 500 crore for a new scheme on the livelihood of tribal youth under the Mukhyamantri Janajati Jeebika Mission. Odisha too rolled out a Mukhya Mantri Yojana to counter the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri scheme. The state government has also announced Rs 2,800 crore for the Phase II implementation of the Odisha Millet Mission to benefit tribal districts.
Odisha Government also highlighted its pro-tribal activities by making a claim that it has set up Special Development Councils across districts for preserving tradition and culture of tribal and also development of their places of worship. It also said that the state government was spending crores for the tribal girl’s education, imparting better studies for the tribal students. Janajatiya Gaurab Diwas Samaroh is organized in a big way across the State with active participation of tribal groups, thanks to efforts of SCSTRTI and Department of ST SC OBC Development. Recognizing efforts for various tribal groups and their language and literature has seen a huge leap.
However, during his recent Bharat Jodo Jaya Yatra through Odisha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced that his party was committed to fight for the rights of tribals. The Congress claimed that it was the lone political party which has done many things for the development of tribals. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 was one of the major steps of Congress for which lakhs of tribals have availed land and other rights over the forest produce.
The debate over who is actually a friend of the tribal community will continue till the next elections in 2024. The tribal peoples’ verdict in the upcoming polls may indicate which party gains the confidence of Adivasis.