NEW DELHI: Suggesting that the "deep sense of exclusion and alienation" among tribals was responsible for unrest in certain tribal areas, the draft National Tribal Policy has said granting of rights to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) over natural resources and addressing the issue of economic deprivation would resolve these.

Such violent manifestations should not be viewed as merely law and order problems to be tackled through policing, or by arming the tribals as is being done in certain areas, according to the draft policy released here on Friday. The increasing violence is due to social, political and economic reasons which combined together have created a sense of severe dissatisfaction, a feeling of having been neglected and deprived of what is rightfully theirs, it says.

"A situation is thus developing where the STs view the state as their exploiter and enemy, and the preachers of violent actions as their protector and friend. Tribal people tend to support these violent movements as they feel that it would help them get their rights, protect them from exploitation and redress their grievances," the policy says.

Releasing the first ever policy for tribals, Union Tribal Affairs Minister P.R. Kyndiah also said that while policing of tribal protests was no answer, the strategy of Salwa Judum (peace march) was also no answer. "We need to re-look at the strategy," he said in response to a question on the recent naxal killings in Chhattisgarh. "What happened in Chhattisgarh is very painful," Mr. Kyndiah added.

The draft National Tribal Policy would address issues such as the low Human Development Index among the STs, poor infrastructure in the tribal areas, diminishing control over the natural resource base, persistent threats of eviction from their habitat, exclusion from mainstream society, unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities and non-empowerment.

The strategy for implementing the policy includes reorienting institutional arrangements in the tribal areas, strengthening and revamping of the administrative machinery, linking devolution of funds to improvements in Tribal Development Index so as to bring the STs and tribal areas at par with the national level by 2020 and preparation of a separate tribal-centric strategy for each sector besides devising an appropriate personnel policy to ensure the presence of Government functionaries in far flung tribal areas.

The policy seeks to address the issue of tenurial insecurity among tribals by amending state anti-alienation land laws, amending the Indian Registration Act and establishing fast track courts to deal with tribal alienation. Efforts will be made to strengthen the regulatory and protective regime through enforcement of relevant Acts or their amendment.

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