Till Death Past by Tribals in Tapi district, Vyara, South Gujarat

Gujarat is consisting around 15% of tribal of total population. Most of them are depending upon
seasonal agriculture and forest for livelihood. Due to lack awareness about rights and lack of
local leadership from tribal society the tribals are still facing the basic necessity such as Pacca
road, health facility, water and education etc. Apart from inactive role of civil society in the
development of tribal areas caused their lives meaningless.

Two year ago Modi government has declared Tapi District which would have five Talukas
namely Vyara which will be head quarter of district, Valod, Songadh, Uchchal and Nizer. Most
of the talukas are situated near Maharashtra boarder where people have to travel around 105km
for their administrative and other official work. It has been two and half year passed but the
district has not received any kind of permanent offices of different departments. The people from
inertial villages searching offices for their work, they have no idea where the actual office is
located. For Eg. The Distrcit Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is shifted from old taluka
Panchayat building to one of the residential building of Ram Kabir Society. If someone illiterate
person may come for NREGS work how he/she would search wherein local people are finding
difficulties to search this particular place/building. One can imagine that how the tribal people
are facing the problems.

Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Ekta and Vikas Parisad one of the organization which is working for
triabls rights. It has organized till Death Fast –Dharanas – and Public Meeting at in front of
Collector office, Vyara a district head quarter of Tapi district. They have demanded various key
issues need to be considered like

- Strictly Implementation of MNREGS

- Establishment of Tribal University

- Implementation of Primitive Tribes Groups (PTGs) Scheme in Chindiya Village

- Suspend of inactive and corrupt Government officers like PSI and Magistrate

- Prevention of Compulsory voting

- Prevention of river link scheme

- Provision of basic services to tribal

- Strictly Implementation of Forest Right Act (FRA)

- And so many……..
Tribal People were came across the district particularly from inertial villages, boarder villages of
Songadh, Uchchal, Nizer and also Dangs. The demands are not new for them as well for
government. After six days of this Dharnas, the government officials particularly district
collector wrote draft letter indicating regarding their demands/issues to concern departments like
DRDA for NREGS issues, Forest department and TSP for implementation of Forest Right Act
etc. These all responsible departments will submit their answers based on their demands to
collector and ABAEVP.