Adivasi Conclave Demands Stronger Constitutional Safeguards, 10-Point Resolution Adopted

BHADRACHALAM: A national-level meeting of Adivasi leaders from five states on Monday adopted a 10-point resolution calling for stricter enforcement of constitutional protections for Scheduled Tribes (STs), including the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act.

The conclave, organised by the All India Adivasi Constitutional Rights and Culture Protection Coordination Committee, was chaired by former MLA Chanda Lingaiah Dora. Participants included tribal representatives from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra, according to a press release. Former Director General of Police J. Purnachandra Rao attended as the chief guest.

The resolution demands effective implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the administration of Scheduled Areas, and seeks to empower Gram Sabhas under PESA. The leaders expressed concern over what they described as increasing transfer of tribal lands, forests and natural resources to corporate entities, and called for a nationwide movement to safeguard ST rights.

Key demands include strict enforcement of the Land Transfer Regulation (LTR) Act 1 of 1970, comprehensive rehabilitation for families affected by the Polavaram project, recognition of a separate religion code for indigenous tribal faiths in the national Census, inclusion of the Koyithur (Koya) language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, revision of a specific government order (G.O. Ms No 3), and legal safeguards for ST employment in Scheduled Areas.

The meeting comes amid ongoing debates over land rights and resource control in central Indian tribal regions, where conflicts between local communities and industrial projects have been reported. The resolutions will be submitted to the central and state governments for consideration.