Jaipur: Tribal leaders Sunday warned political parties that ignoring tribal rights could come at a political cost, as thousands gathered in Dungarpur and other parts of southern Rajasthan to mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, popularly observed in India as World Tribal Day.The leaders called for the closure of liquor shops in tribal areas, protection of tribal culture from what they described as “cultural invasion”, and national heritage status for Mangarh Dham.At a joint gathering of social workers and representatives of local political groups at Mala Katara Stadium in Dungarpur, social worker Bhanwarlal Parmar said tribal communities had faced discrimination, displacement and exploitation for years. He stressed the need to protect their cultural identity and heritage and renewed the demand for closing liquor shops in tribal areas. He also urged families to focus on education and development.Banswara-Dungarpur MP Rajkumar Roat said the UN had declared World Tribal Day in 1994 and questioned what successive tribal representatives in Parliament had done for the community since then. He also raised the issue of ILO Convention 169, saying its provisions call for consultation with indigenous communities before activities such as mining are undertaken in tribal areas.Roat also alleged that attempts were being made to dilute tribal history in school curricula, citing the removal of references to Mangarh. “Earlier, attacks were made with weapons; today, there are attempts to erase history with pen and paper,” he said.Speakers also renewed the demand for a separate Bhil Pradesh and appealed to the tribal community to give priority to education and stay away from substance abuse.
