THE FIRST-EVER ALL INDIA CONFERENCE OF
THE DENOTIFIED AND NOMADIC TRIBES, CELEBRATING THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF
THEIR SYMBOLIC LIBERATION, WAS ORGANISED BY THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS AND
LITERATURE ON AUGUST 31, 2002. The Conference was inaugurated by
Ms. Mahasweta Devi while Mr. V.R Singh, the former Prime Minister
of India, was the Chief Guest. The other luminaries who spoke at the
Conference included Mr. Laxman Gaikwad, Mr.
Kamleshwar, Mr. Rajendra Yadav, Mr. Ramdas Athawale, M.P., Mr. Ranjit
Naik, Dr. Jagdish Acharya, Mr. Ajit Rai, Mr. Devi Dayal and
Ms. Ajeet Cour. The representatives of
many marginalised communities and tribes also spoke at the Conference and
shared their experiences with the audience
"Aboriginal tribes were once the rulers
of this country. Yet, ironically, at some
time in the past,
Ms.Ajeet
Cour welcoming the Delegates. To her left are Mr. V.P.Singh and Ms.
Mahasweta Devi.
they were dubbed as habitual criminals
and this tag sticks to them even today. Under the law, nobody can be held
guilty unless charges against him are proved in a court of law. But,
unfortunately, members of the denotified and nomadic tribes are branded
as criminals from their very birth," observed
Mr. V. P. Singh,former Prime
Minister of India, while addressing the gathering. He congratulated the
Academy of Fine Arts and Literature for always extending their helping
hand to the cause of these marginalized tribals, and for Drganizing this
first-ever national conference of the denotified and nomadic tribes in
the capital on such a comprehensive scale, and that too without funding
from anywhere.
Inaugurating the one-day Conference, veteran
writer Ms.
Mahasweta Devi suggested that
the denotified and nomadic tribes should enlist the cooperation of other
scheduled castes and tribes to intensify their struggle.
Mr. Laxman
Gaikwad, noted Marathi writer
and President of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes Federation, emphasised
that the people belonging to these tribes had ceaselessly fought for the
country's freedom and were not thieves. He made a fervent plea for
extending the privilege that nad been given to the scheduled castes and
tribes to these people to anable them to live with honour.
Satish Sansi
of the Sansi community gave details of the police atrocities 3n these
tribes and said that they should be allowed to live with dignity.
Mr. Ramdas
Athawale, MP, announced his
party's full support to the struggle launched by the denotified and
nomadic tribes. Mr. Athawale called upon the people to take their
struggle forward on the lines of Dr. <\mbedker's ideology.
Joted writer
Mr. Kamleshwar said that the
struggle of the denotified and nomadic tribes is a sensitive struggle of
the entire human society. He suggested that Dalit literature should be
integrated with this struggle.
Mr. Rajendra Yadav,
noted writer and editor of
Hans, said that the
sxperiences of the Dalits are actually their points of strength. He also
said that the time had come for this section of society to raise its
united /oice.
Mr.
Ranjit Naik, a prominent activist of the Banjara community,
said that under the present exploitative system, which has prevailed for at
east three thousand years, the Dalits have not been allowed to realise
their potential.
Ms. Ajeet Cour, noted writer, social
activist and organiser of this historic conference, addressed the
session. In her statement, she said :
A view of the audience at the Conference
on Denotified and Nomadic Tribes Writers, Mediapersons, Scholars, and
the affected tribals from different regions
"In
1871, the British government had declared some nomadic tribes as
criminal, particularly
those which lad participated in the First War of
independence in 1857.
They were not rescued by jur new rulers
even when he rest of the country had achieved independence. Even after
Jawaharlal Mehru declared these
tribes as 'specially emancipated', could anybody say that these
tribes had been
really liberated?"
she asked. She expressed the hope
that all people engaged in the struggle of the marginalised sections
of society and those who love justice would draw inspiration and
strength from this Conference, and would come
forward to lend their support to the
cause.In the afternoon session, Mr. Nand Kishor
Shukla representing All idia Kisan
Sabha and All India Mazdoor Sabha
spoke on the lirection and condition' of the denotified and nomadic
tribes. He said of le two classes which he represented, one was being
deprived of land nd the other of livelihood.
Mr. V.P.Singh and Mr. Laxman Gaikwad
with Ajeet Cour : A Tribal woman speaks up
Mr. Devi Dayal, IAS (Retd.), demanded
that the Government should ive right of land to the aboriginal tribes. They
should be given equal ocial status so that they get equal opportunities in
all fields. Ir. Ashok Bharti, who
conducted the proceedings, said that the roblems of denotified and nomadic
tribes is a national issue. He uggested that in this struggle the
denotified tribes and the dalit classes hould join hands.
Mr. Ratan
Katian in his presidential address lamented the fact that at resent
politics was being conducted on the basis of religious lajoritarianism.
Laying emphasis on the social changes, he expressed le view that it is with
the spread of awareness that the tribals would laim their rights.
Mr. Ranjit Naik and
Mr. Laxman Gaikwad, the stalwarts of the lovement of Denotified and
Nomadic Tribes, thanked the Academy of ine Arts and Literature, the former
Prime Minister, Mr. V.P. Singh, and FAL Chairperson, Ms. Ajeet Cour, for
organising this historic onference which was the first national level meet
held in the capital of India.