Succour to tribals

WHILE inaugurating the Sixth Tribal
Literary Conference in Nashik recently,
Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma called
for the implementation of the Sixth
Schedule of the Constitution through-out tribal areas in the country.

The Sixth Schedule, which at present is applicable only to the north-
eastern states, talks of granting autonomy to tribal areas. This move, said
Sangma, would prevent infiltration of
tribal areas by non-tribals and check the
rising incidence of indiscriminate
mining and rampant exploitation of
forest resources in such areas.

The speaker pointed out that tribals,
in several parts of the country, were
being outnumbered by "outsiders" in
tribal areas and being displaced by
mining activities and exploitation of
forest resources. The conference was
organised by the Adivasi Vikas Vibhag
Karmachari Sanghatana and the Adivasi
Sahitya Parishad - two prominent
tribal fora of the region.

Sangma pointed out that the population ratio between tribals and non-
tribals should remain balanced for
proper developmental growth of a
region, and that the former should not
be reduced to the category of a minority
in their own areas.