The National Scheduled Tribes Commission has summoned the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan on a complaint by Udaipur MP Dr Mannalal Rawat. The complaint alleges that the CS has approved the registration of Bhils and Bhil - Meena families in Other Backward Class (OBC) hence snatching away the constitutional rights of this Scheduled Tribe. He also alleged that the Rawat surname has been interpreted as caste-indicative.

The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and sought a response regarding the actions taken in this regard. The Commission has also sought a response from the District Collector, Udaipur in the matter.

In the notice issued to the Chief Secretary by the National Scheduled Tribes Commission, referring to the complaint made by MP Dr. Manna Lal Rawat on 30 September 2024, it was written that the Commission has decided to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter following the powers conferred on it under Article 338A of the Constitution of India. Therefore, the Commission will have to be informed about all the actions taken in this regard within fifteen days.

Understanding the matter (complaint)

MP Mannalal Rawat, in his complaint, had written in a letter to the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes that the racket of forcibly registering Bhils in the OBC category has been going on for many years, in which the lands of innocent people of the tribal society are being usurped. During the Congress tenure, orders were also issued to make it constitutional, which is completely wrong. These acts were done with the sole intention of usurping the property of the Scheduled Tribes.

MP Rawat, while referring to the complaint received by him from Kanod resident Bhairulal Meena, told the Commission that over the last many years, the competent officers in the Revenue department in Udaipur and Chitaurgarh, have been selling the land belonging to Rawat and Bhil community to members of other class, by classifying the Bhil community as OBC instead of Scheduled Tribe, which they traditionally have been.  Also, due to the wrong classification, the constitutional reservation provisions for employment, education and political posts have been seriously violated.

MP Rawat clarified that everyone knows that the traditional head of the Bhils of South Rajasthan is called Gameti, Patel, Gadda or Rawat, which also has constitutional recognition in PESA Act, 1996, but this cultural aspect of the word Rawat is being used in another meaning with the same pronunciation and constitutional rights are being violated. In this regard, the residents of the area have informed that this work was done earlier when Congress leader Gulab Singh Shaktawat was the Home Minister in the state government. By misusing power by deceiving the innocent Bhils of this region, some government orders were also issued from the state government regarding registering the traditional title Rawat among Bhils as a caste in Rawat (Other Backward Class). Whereas this is completely contrary to the public notification issued by the President regarding the definition of Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 of the Constitution and the 5 criteria well established in governance issued by the Government of India to define Scheduled Tribes as per the recommendation of the Laukur Committee, 1965.

The MP in his letter, said that this is a criminal conspiracy, which is being presented as a dangerous tool to grab the agricultural land which is the sole basis of livelihood of the local tribes and to deprive this Scheduled Tribe of the constitutional rights of reservation in education, public employment and politics.