Editorial
Rights of the indigenous people
A proactive policy imperative
THE assurance by an advisor to the caretaker government that there would not be retracing of steps insofar as the rights of the indigenous people are concerned is very heartening indeed. We would like to think that the commitment expressed by this government would be carried forward by the future elected governments.
It seems ridiculous that a segment of our people would have to demand their basic rights when rights of every citizen of the country is guaranteed under the Constitution, and think of resorting to 'struggle' should the government fail to fulfill its constitutional obligation. It is so because of the lack of political commitment towards fulfilling the needs of the indigenous people.
Lip-service was never wanting, and it is only on one of the three hundred and sixty five days that we seem to remember the tribal communities of the country, and become vociferous about their problems and plights, and except for some very perfunctory comments and ritualistic sentiments, very little substantive action plan would be adopted with regard to enhancement of their quality of life.
Two very significant steps, that of bringing the area under the cover of mobile network and setting up of judge courts in the region, have been taken during the tenure of the current government, creditable achievements no doubt. One wonders what kept the area from being integrated into the country's legal system for so long. And it is certainly a matter of ignominy that a part of our country was deprived of a means of inexpensive and handy tool of development all these years.
A very basic folly, we feel, in formulating development programmes as regards the indigenous people, has been that they had seldom, if ever, been involved in the planning process or in providing their inputs in formulating policies relating to their development. Creation of eco-park is a case in point.
No time should be wasted in initiating measures that would help our indigenous population join the mainstream without in anyway diluting their cultural and traditional values. Bringing the indigenous people under the umbrella of modern education is one way of doing it. Also, a very sensitive issue, that of tribal lands, has remained unaddressed till today in spite of the extant, but non-functional land commission for the CHT, which must be focused on without any further waste of time.
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