Vadodara, March 23 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the BJP and the RSS over the use of the term 'Vanvasis' for tribal people, claiming that they have coined the term to deny them their original ownership of water, forests, and land, which have belonged to them for centuries.
Addressing the 'Adivasi Adhikar Sammelan' in Vadodara, Gandhi reiterated his demand for a caste census, which he said is vital for tribal people to gain their share in the country's power and wealth.
"The term 'Adivasi' refers to the original owners of India. If you had visited this land 1,000, 2,000, or even 5,000 years ago, you would have found that every inch of land was in the hands of Adivasis," the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha told the gathering.
"Now, in the 21st century, a new term has emerged – a term coined by the RSS and the BJP – 'Vanvasi' (forest dweller). The term 'Vanvasi' implies that you were not the original owners of this land. The term 'Adivasi', on the other hand, signifies that this country belonged to you, that its water, forests, and land were rightfully yours," he insisted.
Gandhi argued that calling Adivasis 'Vanvasis' is an attack on the Constitution and the revered tribal leader Birsa Munda.
"The use of the term 'Vanvasi' suggests that you were not the original owners – that the original owners were someone else, and that water, forests, and land did not belong to you; rather, you merely happen to reside within forests," the Congress MP stated.
Gandhi also pointed out that in the India-US interim trade deal, for the first time, the government has opened up the country's farm sector to American products, something no Prime Minister had done before.
