Rajasthan
Rajasthan: Tribal Party Wants Tsp Regions Off Honour Of Dead Bodies Act Ambit | Jaipur News
Jaipur: The newly formed Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) has urged the state government to exempt Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) areas from the ambit of the Rajasthan Honour of Death Bodies Act signed by the Governor this week.
The party has said the law is against the traditional practices of the tribal populace and the spirit of Schedule V of the Indian Constitution. The tribal party is objecting to the provision in the Act that bans holding of protests using a dead body to get the demands fulfilled.
BAP said tribal areas have a centuries-old tradition of protesting with dead bodies to seek justice, which can be a monetary penalty if the death is unnatural. The tribal people call it ‘motana’ or ‘blood money’. The tradition has seen violent clashes and migration of families that fail to pay the blood money. The Act provides for imprisonment up to two years if a family refuses to take the body.
“Existing criminal codes like CrPC and IPC have been used as an instrument to suppress tribals across the country. They have failed to give a sense of justice, especially when the perpetrator is a non-tribal. Even if police stations are opened at every gram panchayat, the prevalent prejudice in society prevents justice to the tribals. Our party’s clear view is that this Act violates our cultural ethos and is against the rights given to us by the Constitution. It will face strong opposition,” said Saghwara MLA and BAP national member Ram Prasad Dindor.
Justifying the practice of blood money by protesting with a dead body, another BAP national member and MLA, Chorasi Rajkumar Roat, told TOI, “Can a wife whose husband was murdered seek justice through the existing legal process which guarantees her neither compensation nor justice? She has full right to protest with the body and seek compensation with her family’s support. How can you criminalise our deeply rooted traditional system?” The protest with the body can last for 15-20 days till the demands are fulfilled, he added.
UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal had said in the assembly that 82 incidents of families protesting by sitting next to the dead bodies of their kin were reported between 2014 and 2018, which resulted in 30 police cases. Activists say the actual figures could be much higher as many of such cases stay unreported.
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The party has said the law is against the traditional practices of the tribal populace and the spirit of Schedule V of the Indian Constitution. The tribal party is objecting to the provision in the Act that bans holding of protests using a dead body to get the demands fulfilled.
BAP said tribal areas have a centuries-old tradition of protesting with dead bodies to seek justice, which can be a monetary penalty if the death is unnatural. The tribal people call it ‘motana’ or ‘blood money’. The tradition has seen violent clashes and migration of families that fail to pay the blood money. The Act provides for imprisonment up to two years if a family refuses to take the body.
“Existing criminal codes like CrPC and IPC have been used as an instrument to suppress tribals across the country. They have failed to give a sense of justice, especially when the perpetrator is a non-tribal. Even if police stations are opened at every gram panchayat, the prevalent prejudice in society prevents justice to the tribals. Our party’s clear view is that this Act violates our cultural ethos and is against the rights given to us by the Constitution. It will face strong opposition,” said Saghwara MLA and BAP national member Ram Prasad Dindor.
Justifying the practice of blood money by protesting with a dead body, another BAP national member and MLA, Chorasi Rajkumar Roat, told TOI, “Can a wife whose husband was murdered seek justice through the existing legal process which guarantees her neither compensation nor justice? She has full right to protest with the body and seek compensation with her family’s support. How can you criminalise our deeply rooted traditional system?” The protest with the body can last for 15-20 days till the demands are fulfilled, he added.
UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal had said in the assembly that 82 incidents of families protesting by sitting next to the dead bodies of their kin were reported between 2014 and 2018, which resulted in 30 police cases. Activists say the actual figures could be much higher as many of such cases stay unreported.
We also published the following articles recently
Tribal farmers stage protest demanding release of water
Tribal farmers in Anakapalli district protested for the release of water from Pedderu reservoir to their crops. Around 3,000 farmers in 16 villages rely on this reservoir for irrigation, covering about 4,110 acres of land. Additionally, 1,500 farmers in Butchayyapeta mandal are also facing water scarcity, resulting in the need to manually transport water to their fields. The situation has arisen due to inadequate rainfall and a decrease in water resources.
Tribal farmers in Anakapalli district protested for the release of water from Pedderu reservoir to their crops. Around 3,000 farmers in 16 villages rely on this reservoir for irrigation, covering about 4,110 acres of land. Additionally, 1,500 farmers in Butchayyapeta mandal are also facing water scarcity, resulting in the need to manually transport water to their fields. The situation has arisen due to inadequate rainfall and a decrease in water resources.
Traditional tribal rule disregards merit, CM promoting it for vote
Former MP Salkhan Murmu has criticized Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s announcement to provide pucca houses and motorcycles to tribal village heads. Murmu believes that the scheme is an attempt by the JMM party to strengthen the scheduled tribe vote bank. He argues that instead of promoting a democratic and merit-based system, the government is perpetuating a dynastic rule where village heads are selected based on birth rather than talent. Murmu also highlights the prevalence of issues such as witch practice, extortion, land grabbing, addiction, superstition, and crime against women within the self-rule governing system. He intends to approach the court if the government does not halt the scheme.
Former MP Salkhan Murmu has criticized Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s announcement to provide pucca houses and motorcycles to tribal village heads. Murmu believes that the scheme is an attempt by the JMM party to strengthen the scheduled tribe vote bank. He argues that instead of promoting a democratic and merit-based system, the government is perpetuating a dynastic rule where village heads are selected based on birth rather than talent. Murmu also highlights the prevalence of issues such as witch practice, extortion, land grabbing, addiction, superstition, and crime against women within the self-rule governing system. He intends to approach the court if the government does not halt the scheme.
Farmer bodies complete 72 hours of protest for fair compensation
Farmers in Punjab continued to protest outside the residences of AAP and BJP leaders, following a call by the Punjab chapter of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. Protests also occurred near the residence of CM Bhagwant Man in Sangrur. The farmers are dissatisfied with the compensation of Rs 6,800 per acre provided by the government for crop damage, considering it to be insufficient.
Farmers in Punjab continued to protest outside the residences of AAP and BJP leaders, following a call by the Punjab chapter of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha. Protests also occurred near the residence of CM Bhagwant Man in Sangrur. The farmers are dissatisfied with the compensation of Rs 6,800 per acre provided by the government for crop damage, considering it to be insufficient.
