Prepare for Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, Centre urges States

In the run-up to the fifth Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on November 15, which will mark the end of tribal icon Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary, the Union government has written to the States, including to poll-bound Bihar, and Union Territories, saying they “must organise” commemorative events at the State and district levels from November 1 to November 15.

In a letter sent to the Principal Secretaries of Tribal Welfare Departments in the State and UT administrations last week, the Tribal Affairs Ministry has said “all the States/UTs must participate in celebrating” the anniversary.

“However, State where the model code of conduct is in force are being requested to celebrate the Diwas adhering to the MCC,” the government said.

The letter asked States and UTs to “actively participate” in “inauguration or benefit disbursal targeting tribal populations, launch of tribal-focused schemes, capacity building” and highlighting government schemes such as PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan.

The letter said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected at the national-level event and requested the participation of 25 States and UTs, excluding Bihar. No other recommended activities explicitly mention which are compliant with the MCC and which are not.

Bihar, which has a Scheduled Tribe population of 1.68%, will vote on November 6 and 11. On November 11, bypolls are scheduled in eight Assembly seats across Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Punjab, Telangana, and Rajasthan.

The government has recommended the display of ‘Tribal Village Vision 2030’ documents prepared under the Adi Karmayogi scheme, interactions of State VVIPs with PM-JANMAN beneficiaries, painting exhibition of artworks by students of Eklavya schools.

The government has suggested that the States/UTs hold campaigns for saturation of individual entitlements and contests in schools, colleges, to celebrate tribal heritage, in addition to arranging health awareness campaigns through Mobile Medical Units.

While the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct does not explicitly mention any rules related to the celebration of an event such as the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, some of the rules in the MCC for ruling parties prohibit Ministers from making “use of official machinery or personnel during the electioneering work”; the use of “government transportation, including official aircraft, vehicles, machinery and personnel” “for furtherance of the interest of the party in power”.