New Delhi: Patthargarhi, the self-rule movement in rural tribal pockets of Chhattisgarh and many other states, got an entirely new definition by a visiting BJP spokesperson on Monday.
Vijay Sonkar Shastri said that Patthargarhi was a village in which people of the same caste live together, leaving other BJP leaders red-faced. He also questioned whether the authority of a Gram Sabha was higher than the government.
He went on to claim that these things won’t come to fore once development is brought about in backward areas. “Once we work for academic and financial upliftment of the areas, all these social problems could be addressed,” claimed Shastri.
Taken aback by Shastri’s remarks, party leaders –Sanjay Srivastava and Srichand Sundarani intervened. Srivastava almost snatched the microphone from Shastri and said that panchayat was a constitutional provision.
He also acknowledged the constitutional provision of schedule 5 which offers special powers to the tribals.
Meanwhile, Congress chief media co-ordinator Shailesh Nitin Trivedi flayed the statement from Shastri saying BJP leaders have no proper knowledge of tribal culture and traditions. “I request them to first get their facts corrected before making such remarks.”
The tribal self-rule movement, which broke out in Chhattisgarh, has rattled the Raman Singh-led BJP government, which is well aware of the consequences of such resentment among the ethnic population in an election year.
A recent RSS meet chaired by organisation chief Mohan Bhagwat held in Raipur had detailed discussions on the Patthargarhi movement.
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