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UPA decides to go slow on Tribal Land Rights Bill
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| The Pioneer , Thursday, May 05, 2005 |
| Correspondent
: Prerna Singh Bindra |
| Following the controversy surrounding the Tribal Land Rights Bill, 2005, the UPA has decided against taking up the Bill at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Highly placed sources say that the PMO had called for a in-camera meeting, in which it was discussed to examine in the minutest details all aspects of the Bill, in consultation with all the concerned parties and that the Bill should not be pushed in haste. The Pioneer had highlighted that India stands to lose at least 60 per cent of its forest cover, if the Bill is passed. Especially in the backdrop of the current tiger crisis, it would effectively serve as the tiger's death warrant. This was stressed at a presentation made on Tuesday at the IIC to the group of MPs formed to save the tiger. The Central Empowered Committee members, Mr Jiwrajka and Mr Valmik Thapar, explained the disastrous impact of the Bill on wildlife and its habitat. They explained that the Bill, in its present form, would effectively wipe off the tiger's habitat, and therefore the tiger. Predictably, the Bill has also sharply divided the parliamentarian group, Tiger and Wilderness Watch, which has been formed across partylines to work on one platform to conserve the tiger. The group, including high-profile MPs like Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jay Panda, Renuka Chowdhary, Suresh Prabhu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, is sharply divided on the Tribal Bill.
Sources say that while most of the MPs were shocked at the Bill's impact, few came out in the open considering its political ramifications. An MP, who is presently a Union Minister, is reportedly worried that forests in one particular state, with only one tiger reserve, would be destroyed if forestland was given away to tribals in such a manner.
Another MP, also from the ruling party, was shocked that the Bill would destroy tiger habitat. However, few came out openly to oppose the Bill, since it was considered politically incorrect. The role of Rahul Gandhi was most ambivalent. Though privately said to oppose the Bill - perhaps because it overrides the law, and the spirit of the Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Conservation Act piloted by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi - he is apparently shy coming upfront against it.
The Tribal Bill is considered to be a master move of the UPA to win tribal votes. After the presentation, the MPs had a private discussion in which it was unanimously decided to steer clear of the Bill. Not one MP, whether from the Congress, BJP or the Left would publicly oppose the Bill as it meant loss of tribal votes, and political suicide, said a source.
Dr Karan Singh refused to comment on the Bill saying that he hadn't studied it properly. He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday in this regard and gave the PM a letter signed by the members of the group which stressed the need for better patrolling and policing of ten select and troubled tiger reserves.
The PM, he said, gave a very positive response. The Tribal Bill was not discussed. "We are yet to form an opinion on the Bill," he dismissed. Dr Singh adds that prima facie, tribals deserved traditional rights on the forest since they were simple people. "Anti-social elements and the mafia take advantage of tribals. We saw that happen in Sariska as well," says Dr Singh when questioned on the fact that tribals living within the reserve had been implicated in poaching of tigers in Sariska. "We will focus only on the tiger," added Dr Singh, who spearheaded Project Tiger in its formative years.
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| SOURCE
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The Pioneer, Thursday, May 05, 2005 |
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