During Bharat Jodo Yatra Rahul Gandhi today, met people from Banjara, Dakkaliga, Sudugadu Siddha, Dombaru, Dhombi Dasa, Korama & Handijogis Communities.

In 1871, British enacted Criminal Tribes Act and criminalised the mere existence of these tribes. This brutality was in response to, nomadic tribes working in close quarters with the Princely States, as their spies & supplying weapons for the fight against British.

The inhumane law was repealed by Congress Government in 1952 and which is still celebrated as “Vimukthi Divas” every year on August 31.

Mallamma, a Banjara Woman spoke to Rahul Gandhi on the issues her community is facing to even access education and healthcare. She said that, even for basic daily essential commodities, they have to go to a connecting village from their “Thandas” (A place where they are allowed to settle outside the village)

She said that, Banjara community is a colorful tribe, but their life was not so colourful.

The Banjara community was accorded the status of Scheduled Castes by Congress Government in 1970s. But they continue to remain in ST & OBC Sections in other states in India.

Sannalakshmamma, from Korama community expressed her everyday struggles as she tries to earn Rs 100-200 by selling combs & hair pins.

She stated that people in her community do not own any land. They live on a dried up lake bed in Huliyar and have been protesting for a month infront of “Nada Kacheri” (Revenue Dept Office) in Huliyar demanding for Land Allocation granted by previous Congress State Govt.

Shantaraji from Dakkaliga community stated that, the people of his communities are by practice allowed only to beg from the Madiga community. He expressed the community’s helplessness by stating that they were treated as “Untouchables among Untouchables”. He added that 1.26 Lakh people of these communities are still landless in Tumkur District alone.

Rahul Gandhi conversed with them patiently and assured that all their demands shall find voice through this Bharat Jodo Yatra.

He said that the issues they have discussed are fundamentals of human dignity & he understands the difficulties they are going through.

He also stated that the Congress enacted the Forest Rights Act, to empower the forest dwelling communities by granting them the access & ownership rights of their forests. He assured that when the Congress Party comes to power in Karnataka, the party will look into including nomadic, semi-nomadic & denotified tribal communities in the existing Forest Rights Act.

He also asked everyone present to have a dialogue with the party’s manifesto committee & place specific demands which can then become part of our manifesto and make the party accountable to deliver on them.

Bharat Jodo Yatra continues to be a platform for the powerless and the voiceless to amplify their demands.