Of the many resolutions passed by gram sabhas, the most controversial one till date is the one outlawing a tribal community. This resolution was passed on Sunday by the Bethora village panchayat. The gram sabha resolved to banish a tribal community
of around 17 families comprising 87 members which, after years of wandering, came to settle in Nirankal in the village of Bethora. Members of the tribe live in very poor conditions and get their name “ Wanarmare “ from their past occupation of hunting
monkeys. This they accomplished with bows and arrows until it was made illegal. Their misfortune is that they have no place to call home, no proper identity papers and no access to the many schemes launched by the government. Only recently,
they were brought under the Food Security Act and given ration and aadhar cards.
Who are these people? They are a wandering tribe, parts of which have been recognized and resettled by the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments.
Every time these 17 families attempt to settle down in Goa, forest officials
drive them out. Now that they have found some recognition, the village
panchayat of Bethora is attempting
to undermine their gains and once
again convert them into wanderers.
More than sympathy, this tribe deserves
a shot at life under a permanent
roof and with some security.
They are not demanding much “ just
a piece of land on which to build their homes. They presently
live in squalid conditions which cannot improve if they are
evicted.
The Wanarmare deserve to be treated like human beings and
not like an unwanted species. No panchayat or gram sabha has
the right to evict them because they are citizens of the country
and therefore enjoy every right and protection granted to them
by the Constitution. These rights and protections cannot be
taken away by a gram sabha. The charges made against them
appear to be made-up to instill fear in residents of the village.
Unless complaints of assault have been registered in police stations,
these allegations cannot be taken seriously.
Under the panchayat act, the role of the gram sabha is restricted.
It is not a supreme body that can take any decision that
comes to its mind. It has to function under the ambit of the law
and though it has an important role to play in grass-root democracy,
it does not have an unfettered right to do as it pleases.
We do understand that the people of Bethora might feel uneasy
and fearful of the presence of the tribe. Some might even
harbour resentment over the fact that they were granted food
security, ration cards and aadhar cards while many of them had
to run from pillar to post to acquire the same. But these are not
compelling reasons to outlaw an entire community. On the contrary
they deserve our support and empathy.
Like all of us they too have a simple aspiration that their children
live better lives. That they go to school and get an education
and use that education to get jobs and eventually integrate
with society as we know it. They must be helped on this journey
to a life with dignity. They must be aided in their endeavour
to settle down with a roof over their heads and pursue their
dreams. They need our support.
