ML seeks withdrawal of circular against tribals

RANCHI: On the eve of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee''s visit to the state capital, the CPI (ML) has demanded the PM to withdraw a circular released by the environment ministry, which seeks to declare the tribal settled in forests after 1980, as encroachers.
Speaking at the "Jan Sansad", party national general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that while the government is organising an event for the adivasis, it has at the same time framed rules to displace them and deprive them of their bare necessities.
Taking a dig at the "Virat Vanvasi Sammelan", which the PM will attend, Bhattacharya questioned the purpose of the sammelan when more than 80 per cent of people dying of starvation or minor diseases such as malaria are tribals.
He also said that though the state has five most backward districts in the country, the government has no policy for promoting employment opportunities.
Coming to the purpose of the "Jan Sansad", he said the government''s decision to hold parliamentary board before its scheduled time is wrong.
He urged the people to involve themselves more in governance and make the government responsible for its actions and decisions.
Earlier, party MLA Mahendra Singh accused chief minister Arjun Munda of giving huge concessions to Tata, which is causing great loss to the state exchequer.
He also mocked the concept of ''vanvasi'' saying the BJP agenda of renaming adivasi was unacceptable as it was aimed at robbing them of their identity.