9th August World Tribal Day
Ahmednagar | 8 August | Maryam Sayyed
human rights: Around 700 people reside in the EklavyaNagar settlement near Savedi village which falls under the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation. This settlement is home to the hardworking Bhill tribal community with women, men, the elderly, and children making up the population. Despite their significant numbers, there is always a municipal representative from this ward, but not a single tribal representative has ever used public funds for civic amenities in the past 25-30 years. However, millions have been spent by the Mahanagar Palika in their names.
The Bhil tribe is one of the major indigenous tribes in India, primarily residing in regions of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. They are brave, honest people who were once the rulers of the forests. You would never find any of them begging on the streets; they are a very self-respecting community.
As urban settlements expanded, these people were forced to the cities. The forests disappeared, and cement jungles grew in their place. With the depletion of forest resources, they lost their employment, and with it, their livelihood. As these people did not change with the times, they were left without education or employment. Problems persist for them. When a person from the settlement dies, the struggle for a burial place begins. Despite being the kings of the forests, there is no place to bury their dead. Even with a municipal corporation, the plight of burial grounds has not ended. As land prices skyrocketed, encroachments on burial grounds increased, and there is a constant conspiracy to seize these lands.
The traditional burial ground of these tribals is located about 3-4 kilometers away at Borude Mala on the banks of the Sina river, just a 10 minute drive from the Bhill settlement in Savedi. Despite this, the mayor, deputy mayor, and other officials from this ward are of no help to the tribals. Though millions are spent in their names on development projects by the municipal corporation, not a single penny reaches the tribals for their development.
Encroached upon, surrounded by thorny English babul trees, and covered with bitter political weeds, this burial ground cannot even be called such. Every municipal commissioner who has come Ahmednagar has turned a blind eye to this issue. Tribal representatives in the municipal council are mere pawns of anti-tribal political ideologies. In the last 30 years, not 10 paise has been spent on the tribal settlement or their burial ground. Every year, millions are allocated in the municipal budget under various headings, but these funds are misused for bogus road and drainage projects before the year ends, and the burial ground remains neglected. This has been going on for years, even with tribal representatives present in the municipal council.
As we celebrate World Tribal Day on August 9, instead of just organizing events, it is imperative that the municipal commissioner and the administration remove the encroachments from the Borude Mala burial ground and construct a strong stone compound wall around it. The place should be cleared of thorns and weeds, and proper sanitation should be maintained. It is necessary to provide the tribals with the required materials and assistance for burial ceremonies, appoint staff for the burial ground, and create proper facilities for the rites. This is a basic human right. Ensuring the overall development of tribals is our duty, and ensuring their right to a dignified burial is part of that. Let us all work towards this goal together. Instead of just arranging programs and giving speeches, let us solve their actual problems and celebrate the Tribal Day in a true sense.
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