Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha and Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha have demanded recognition of Scheduled Tribes for the people of ‘Kisan'(farmer) and ‘Lohar'(blacksmith) tribes living in Surguja and Balrampur districts as Nagesia and Agaria tribes. In this regard, a memorandum in the name of the President was submitted to the District Collector, Surguja today.
In a statement issued today, Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha President Sanjay Parate and General Secretary of Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha Balsingh said that at present the majority of kisan and lohar tribes reside in these two districts, which are actually Nagesia and Agaria tribes. Their population at present is about three lakhs. There has been a continuous movement here demanding the status of Nagesia tribe to the ‘kisan’ tribals. Therefore, ‘kisan’ should be associated with Ngesia tribe and ‘lohar’ with Agaria, so that these tribes can get the benefit of reservation and it can be saved from the loot of land by non-tribals.
It is noteworthy that in this session of Parliament, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth) Amendment Bill, 2022 is being brought by the Central Government, in which it has been proposed to recognize 42 tribal communities of Chhattisgarh as Scheduled Tribes. Due to minor discrepancies including spelling errors, these communities of tribals have been deprived of the recognition of Scheduled Tribes till date. An attempt has been made to remove these loopholes in the proposed bill.
Kisan Sabha and Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha have welcomed the bill and demanded that justice should also be done which are known as ‘Kisan’ and ‘Lohar’ in Nagesia and Agariya tribes and in the amendment bill, ‘Kisan’ and ‘Lohar’ should also be added. They have said that the people of this community are deprived of the recognition of the tribe due to the land settlement records, in which they are registered as ‘kisan’ and ‘lohar’.
They said that the kisan have Roti–Beti (familial-marital) relations with the people of Nagesia tribe and their kinship extends to Jashpur and Raigarh districts of Chhattisgarh state as well as Jharkhand and Odisha states. In Jharkhand and Odisha, the kisan tribe has been recognized years ago by equating ‘Kisan’ with ‘Nagesia’, while in Chhattisgarh the discrepancy continues and the BJP, which ruled the state for 15 years, is clearly responsible for this.
Kisan Sabha and Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha have appealed to all the BJP MPs representing this state to take the necessary steps to include ‘Kisan’ and ‘Lohar’ tribes in the amendment bill to remove the injustice done to ‘Kisan’ and ‘Lohar’ tribals. They have also urged the Congress government in the state to pass a resolution in this regard in the assembly.
