Gujarat to form panel to decide 'real' tribals of Gir forest

Specifying the Scheduled Tribes of Gir, Barda and Alech forest areas for deciding the "real beneficiaries", the Gujarat government has announced to set up a commission under a retired High Court judge to review the matter.

Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Gujarat government has decided to set up a commission under a retired High Court judge to decide "real beneficiaries" who are entitled to be considered as Scheduled Tribes of Gir, Barda and Alech forest areas of the Saurashtra region.

The announcement to set up the five-member commission was made by Forest and Tribal Development Minister Ganpat Vasava on Tuesday in Gandhinagar after a Cabinet meeting.

“Following a discussion in the Cabinet meeting, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has decided to set up a commission under a retired High Court judge.”

"The commission will also have two retired district court judges, one retired forest officer and a retired additional collector-rank officer," Vasava told reporters.

"The commission would decide as on 1956, who can be considered as real beneficiaries entitled to be considered as Scheduled Tribes (ST) of Gir, Barda and Alech regions," the minister added.

Though Maldharis, a community whose members belong to castes such as Bharwad and Rabari-of Gir, Alech and Barda-were included among the Scheduled Tribes since 1956, they are not classified as STs outside those forest areas.

The traditional occupation of the Maldhari community is cattle rearing. Outside those forest areas, Bharwad, Rabari and Charan castes of the community figure in the OBC (Other Backward Class) list.

Tribal leaders had earlier staged protests in Gandhinagar claiming that Maldharis, who has now shifted outside these three forest areas, are not entitled to get reservation benefits as STs.

They claimed Maldharis must live in forests to avail benefits entitled to Adivasis.

The tribal agitators even alleged officials have issued ST certificates to many non-eligible Maldharis in the past.

On the other side, Maldharis, too, had staged protests in the past over the issue to safeguard their interest.

They claimed that though some of them have moved out of forest land, they should still be considered as STs under provisions that came into effect in 1956.

(PTI report)