Tura: BJP vice president and Tura MDC Bernard Marak has claimed that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not be implemented in tribal states, which are protected under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
In a release late evening on Wednesday, Marak stated that tribal areas would not be affected with the proposed implementation of the UCC by the Central government.
“The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code will not affect the tribal areas, which are protected under special provisions of the Constitution. BJP wants to uplift the northeastern 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. It wants to restore what has been lost and taken away from the tribals in the past by the political parties that ruled the state,” he asserted.
Hitting out at the earlier governments for not delivering 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 that the BJP is taking under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi,” added Bernard.
Marak added that through the promise of development and modernsation, 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 that was to be issued by District Councils? Why was Rural Development schemes taken over from ADCs by the DRDAs which are mere agencies?” he said.
The BJP MDC felt that more needs to be done to restore tribal institutions of the state, 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.
“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 state and the whole syllabus was changed to general education, distancing us from our traditional roots and understanding our rights,” he added.
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“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.
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