Last Updated on 10 years by INDIAN AWAAZ
Party leader Sonia Gandhi,the newly- appointed Minister for Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj Deo is five-time Member of Parliament from Araku constituency in Andhra Pradesh
Just after assuming the ministries Deo is on a mission to correct centuries of injustice done to the tribal population of India. At the same time the Panchayati Raj was a brain wave of Rajiv Gandhi. So, the political message for Deo is loud and clear.
So, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has the right person to address the welfare and well-being of the most neglected
and exploited section of the Indian Society. He is the man chosen to liberate them from the bondage of poverty and pestilence.
The former Tribals Affairs Minister P R Kyndiah, a thorough-bred tribal from the North-eastern State of Meghalya pursued and pushed through the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, which led to historic Forest Rights Act.
It was a tale of near misses for Deo. He was passed over for 31 years and yet he did not lose heart and had immense faith in the leadership of the Party. He knew that the day is not off when he would be rewarded for his patience and loyalty. He missed by a whisker in becoming the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in May 2009. And yet, he did not sulk.
When asked to comment on his return to the Council of Ministers after a gap of 31 years, Mr Deo said “In politics nothing comes to you as matter of right, you have to earn it with a lot of trust and faith of the people and your leadership”.
Politically, The Forest Rights Act has brought rich dividends for Congress in the 2009 general elections. The Party had succeed, to a certain extent to win back the confidence of the tribals.
Expressing happiness over is induction, he said he was vested with very heavy responsibility of protecting tribal interests and strengthening the Panchayati raj system.
He underlined the need to change the mindset of displacing tribals for launching mining projects “No development can take place at the cost of peoples rights and interests” .
Asked about the raging controversy surrounding mining projects, he underlined the helplessness of tribals in taking care of themselves and condemned the drive at evicting them for the sake of mining. Setting the agenda, his first and foremost task is to review the implementation of the Forest Rights Act.
This has to be implemented before any developmental project could be considered by displacing tribals. “Only then a proposal can be considered and proper rehabilitation of locals has to be ensured”. he said. He straightaway took Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik head on. He questioned Patnaik decision to push projects at the cost of the rights of the tribals and forest dwellers saying “this is the reason for the unrest among the tribals”.
He made it clear that bauxite mining cannot be allowed just because mineral deposits are under the houses of poor tribals.
He thanked Rahul Gandhi for stopping Vedanta.
Niyamgiri Hills are for locals and the source of two rivers which pass through his Consitituency-Araku. “My people would
have suffered if mining was allowed there”.