New Delhi, August 10: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal issued a strong statement on World Tribal Day, declaring that the greatest injustice in post-independence India has been inflicted upon tribal communities through the systematic stripping of their natural resources.
The AAP leadership maintained that traditional lands, forests, and water sources have been continuously allocated to large corporate entities by previous administrations.
In the last 75 years, the greatest injustice has been done to the tribal community, Arvind Kejriwal affirmed. While other sections of society progressed, tribal populations were deliberately left behind as their natural wealth was taken away by corrupt political interests, the AAP chief declared. The party remains committed to standing up for indigenous rights against corporate encroachment, he stated.
Addressing administrative safeguards, the party leadership raised concerns over the failure to properly enforce the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, commonly known as PESA.
Governments passed the PESA law but failed to implement its core provisions, Arvind Kejriwal asserted. Key decisions regarding land and resource allocation continue to be made without seeking the consent of local Gram Sabhas, he declared.
The AAP leader also referenced the ongoing legal troubles of party leader and prominent tribal activist Chaitar Vasava, maintaining that he has been jailed under baseless charges for defending his community’s constitutional entitlements. Vasava continues to face incarceration simply because he refuses to stop fighting for the rights of indigenous families, Kejriwal stated, expressing confidence that the leader would secure release soon.
