Tribal status: Trans-Giri villagers may boycott Himachal Assembly poll

KS Tomar

Owing to frustration and pessimism over the recent Centre’s rejection of decades-old demand of according tribal status to Trans-Giri tract, more than three lakh population of Shillai, Renuka, Rajgarh, Kamrau, Nohra and Paonta Sahib tehsil’s Nagheta, Banor, Danda Kala Amb, Rajpur, Khaodri, Gorkhuwala, Doverisalwala, Bahngani, etc may boycott the Assembly poll in November this year.

The Chief Minister, however, reiterated his government’s resolve to take the demand of the affected villagers to the logical end during his one-day visit to Shillai in Sirmaur district.

But cynicism and disparagement have gripped the entire areas after the Union Tribal Ministry gave official information about the rejection of the tribal area demand of the Hattee Samiti when a question was asked by Congress MP from Mandi Pratibha Singh.

Samiti leaders, including president Dr Amin Chand Kamal, general secretary Kundan Shastree, and other members have confirmed that they will opt for poll boycott if the Centre fails to issue the notification prior to the election.

They feel that people have lost patience hence they will boycott the elections, especially when assurances given by PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath singh, CM Jai Ram Thakur, etc have not yielded positive result.

Dr Kamal said Rajnath Singh had give assurance to accord the tribal status to the Grirpar areas if the BJP came to power in 2014 elections. But now eight years have elapsed and the issue is hanging fire due to lack of political will.

Experts believe that the double-engine governments of the BJP are having a big stake in the Assembly poll in Himachal and all five segments will be affected in Sirmaur. The BJP national president belongs to Himachal hence it will be a prestige issue for him to ensure victory.

Experts say that one line resolution from the Assembly would have been suffice to achieve this goal. Did the BJP government also follow Congress policy to befool these people to get their votes? The BJP state unit had promised in 2007, 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections to fulfil the tribal status demand on the pattern of neighbouring Jaunsar areas of Uttarakhand, but assurance remained on paper only.

— (Writer is senior journalist. Views are personal)