New Delhi, August 10: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal extended greetings to indigenous populations on World Tribal Day while criticizing political parties for marginalizing tribal communities and transferring local natural assets to major commercial firms.
Speaking on historical economic disparities, the party leader maintained that tribal regions were intentionally deprived of development benefits over the past seven decades while their water, forest, and land rights were steadily eroded.
Tribal communities were deliberately kept behind while their birthright over local water, forest, and land resources was snatched away to benefit large corporations, Arvind Kejriwal declared. Only the Aam Aadmi Party is actively fighting to restore these rights, with party leaders repeatedly facing imprisonment for leading these struggles, the AAP convenor maintained.
The party highlighted structural issues regarding local governance in tribal belts, emphasizing that statutory protections under the PESA framework remain inactive on the ground.
Legislation like the PESA Act was brought in for show but never genuinely implemented, Arvind Kejriwal asserted, pointing out that executive decisions affecting tribal territories are routinely executed without consulting the Gram Sabha.
Highlighting the situation of tribal advocate and party leader Chaitar Vasava, Kejriwal affirmed that legal actions against Vasava represent attempts to stifle opposition against resource exploitation. Vasava remains imprisoned on false charges solely for raising his voice on behalf of his people, the AAP leader maintained, adding that the movement for tribal empowerment will persist despite state pressure.
