NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes has sought appropriate monetary provisions in the next Five Year Plan and territorial rights for social uplift of these communities. Granting territorial rights to them would give them voting rights, said Balkrishna Sidram Renke, chairperson of the Commission

The commission was set up in March last year to specify steps to help them in asset creation and self-employment. It was also to recommend how to utilise existing agencies for the economic development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC) and extend an aid package to them.The three-member Commission, chaired by Mr. Renke comprises Laxmanbhai K.Patani as member and Lakshmi Chand as member secretary. It started functioning from February this year and has a one-year term.

Ex-criminal tribe stigma

The British-enacted Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 notified hundreds of nomadic tribes as criminals. The Indian Government repealed the Act in 1952 but these tribes are still treated as ex-criminals. Nomadic tribes are characterised as landless, homeless and generally underfed with a negligible literacy rate. Since a large number of them are always on the move, they are deprived of voting rights, caste certificates, ration cards and below poverty line certificates.

There are estimated to be about 500 denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, comprising seven to ten per cent of the population, but they are not enumerated separately in the Census. They have traditionally pursued jobs such as snake charming, acrobatics, puppetry, singing and dancing, hunting and handicrafts besides fortune telling and healing. "But these professions have been rendered redundant in the modern day or laws prevent them from pursuing these jobs,'' Mr. Renke said.

The Commission wants a survey of these communities and the Government should formulate schemes to ensure they have a decision-making role at the national level. Mr. Renke said their basic needs were access to land and water, education and health facilities. They should also have their share of quota but now, they are not even classified under the OBC category and hence enjoy no privileges.

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