Tura, July 6: BJP vice president and Tura MDC, Bernard Marak has claimed that the upcoming Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will only be implemented in the general areas of the country and not in tribal states that are protected under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.
In a release late evening yesterday, Marak stated that tribal areas will not be affected.
“General means those areas which are governed by the general laws and will not affect the tribal areas which are protected under special provisions of the Constitution. BJP wants to uplift NE regions as it has been long neglected. BJP’s intention is not to intrude into the tribal areas or to dilute the beautiful culture, tradition and practices of the tribals. BJP wants to restore what has been lost and taken away from the Tribals in the past by the political parties which ruled the State,” he asserted.
Hitting out at earlier governments which he claimed had not delivered on the promises made to the tribal population, he asserted that autonomy was diluted by the bureaucracy who serves the general state under the political leaders.
“State is not tribal. It is general. Tribals have been betrayed by most of the political leaders who ruled the State in the past and now their followers create fear psychosis against the noble steps BJP is taking under Narendra Modi,” added Bernard.
Marak added that through the promise of development and modernization, most of the leaders weakened the tribal autonomy and replaced it with general administration.
“Who introduced Municipality in the Sixth Scheduled areas? Why are Scheduled Tribes forced to use Scheduled Caste certificates issued by the Deputy Commissioners instead of Scheduled Tribe certificate which was to be issued by District Councils? Why was Rural Development schemes taken over from ADCs by the DRDAs which are mere agencies,” he asked?
The BJP MDC felt there was more than was needed to be done to restore tribal institutions of the state as they were betrayed and made secondary citizens while the bureaucracy has taken over everything through the political mechanism of the state.
“UCC will not affect the tribals but the society is already affected and to rectify it, the BJP stands as the only hope to bring balance and positive change. It should not worry the tribal communities of the NE as it is meant for the general areas and not the tribal areas,” felt Bernard.
He referred to the special provisions in the Constitution which he said was never taught to the indigenous in schools.
“Our education was not tribal based, instead we were taught to accept the general provisions which the former leaders have introduced to confuse us of our rights. Primary education was supposed to be under the ADCs but was taken over by the general state and the whole syllabus was changed to general education distancing us from our traditional roots and understanding our rights,” he added.
“Today, many leaders feel ADCs should be abolished and the State should be given all liberty but little do we know that without ADCs we are defenseless against the general laws. BJP wants to restore the Autonomy given to the tribals unlike other political parties who diluted it in the past,” stated the BJP party spokesperson.