Clamour gets louder for separate tribal segment

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 19

The Congress, the BJP and CPM leaders have backed the demand of tribals for a separate Lok Sabha constituency. Fed up with the apathetic attitude of the authorities towards their plight, residents of Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi-Bharmour and Kinnaur threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha polls.

Leaders say a new Lok Sabha constituency will not only help protect the rights of tribals in Parliament, but also benefit the people of Himachal as there will be five Lok Sabha seats and more funds.

“Himachal has seven MPs — four Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha — but there is no one to represent the tribals,” NGO members said.

Parliament should consider the tribals’ demand by relaxing norms the way it did in case of the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency, considering that Himachal is a special category state and the population in the tribal belt in Lahaul-Spiti is less than three persons per sq km. It constitutes about 40 per cent of the total geographical area of the state.

“We stand by the demand of the tribals,” said Jagat Ram Negi, Congress legislator from Kinnaur district, which has a population of over 85,000 and is a scheduled tribal area under the 5th Schedule of Constitution of India.

“We will take up the issue at various levels in the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha to constitute a delimitation commission until the demand is met,’’ he added.

The most deprived are the SC tribals, who continue to live in poverty due to lack of sources of livelihood.

BJP legislator and Agriculture Minister Dr Ram Lal Markanda said, “The plan is to take out three tribal segments from the Mandi constituency and the new segment will let tribals air their views in Parliament.”

CPM senior leader and legislator from Theog Rakesh Singha said the demand for the ST constituency had been pending and both Congress and BJP never showed interest in protecting the culture of tribals of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi.

Meanwhile, NGOs like Save Lahaul-Spiti Society (SLSS), Himlok Sanskriti Manch (HLSM), Kinnaur, and Pangi Surang Nirman Sangharhs Samiti have asked political parties to take a stand on the issue.

Pangi Surang Nirman Sangharhs Samiti convener Haresh Sharma said they had got the support of praja mandals of Pangi to boycott the polls. The Koksar and Sissu panchayats will also boycott the polls, Prem Katoch of the Save Lahaul-Spiti Society, said.

There are thousands of tribal voters in 10 districts of Himachal. “If the voters are not transported to the other side of Rohtang tunnel, they cannot cast their vote, but the commute has to be safe,” a voter said.

More LS seats mean more funds: Leaders

• Leaders say a new Lok Sabha constituency will not only help protect the rights of tribals in Parliament, but also benefit the people of Himachal as there will be five Lok Sabha seats and more funds.

• Himachal has seven MPs — four Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha — but there is no one to represent the tribals.

• The plan is to take out three tribal segments from the Mandi constituency and the new segment will let tribals air their views in Parliament.