P R E S S R E L E A S E
The 7th June 2007

The All India tribal Students Association Delhi express serious concern on the issue of wrongful demands of the mighty, wealthy and dominant Gujjar community as scheduled tribes at the caused of the Country's most backward and suppressed Tribal communities.

The Gujjars, who were considered a dominant and hardworking community by various national commission report were categorized as Other Backward Class (OBC) by the Mandal Commission. However, their sudden desires to switch from OBC status to Scheduled tribe status without any eligibility criteria and logics but through brute force and violence, taking entire nation into ransom for a week is a mockery of the true essence of Indian hood and the Constitution.

A well established community having a population of around 10 Crores spreadind all over north India and not second to any community in terms of politics, and economy, eyeing to snatch away 7.5 % reservation for the socially suppressed and economically backward primitive scheduled tribes through muscle power and violence is not only inhumane, shameful and agonizing but also a reflection of the double standard of our political leaders running the government.

It has been witnessed time and again, that any community/ groups/organization having the number and strengths taking the nation at ransom any time through violence and the successive failure of the government in taking action, defeated the very structured of our secular democratic country. If there is no protection for the common public, property and the economically weaker section, how far is our Mighty India from Balkanization!

"Tribe" is an aggregate of people bound by ties of descent from ancestor having common customs, religion, dialects, traditions and cultures and the characteristic of tribes is called tribal. A community can be tribal without being Included in the list of scheduled tribes.

Sensing the need to protect the tribals from exploitation by the forward communities, the Government lays down five criteria for identification of tribal communities for listing in the scheduled tribe category as given below.
1. The tribal community must have indication of primitive traits
(Customs and traditions)
2. The tribal community must have distinctive cultures & practices
3. The tribal Community must be geographically isolated from the society.
4. The tribal community must have shyness of contact with other communities at large
5. The tribal Community must be socially and economically backward

Even after 60 years of independence, the scheduled tribes remains the most socially and economically suppressed, racially discriminated and targets of greed's. They are exploited and harassed in place of work irrespective of their social status. Most scheduled tribes lived in remote areas and not accessible to modern development.

Around 08% of the Tribal population managed to lead life of a middle class family such as some Meena's, Naga, Mizo, Meghalaya, Bodos, Himachalis, Utranchal, Sikkimese, Manipuris, Arunachals, (East land) Orissa etc and around 75% are unable make both ends meet, around 10% of the population manage to get Jobs through reservation.

And not even .05% of tribal student can get admission in institutions without reservation. It is a pity that such a mighty community like the Gujjars having no traces of tribal ness nor suffer any social discrimination is coveting the 7.5% reservation for backward scheduled tribes communities.

The Association appeal to the Government that until reservation for Scheduled tribe is filled including backlogs from the year 1975 no communities be declared a scheduled tribe. It is also to be noted that no tribal communities are happy with the manner they are being treated. For how long, should the Tribals be drowned in the Crocodile tears of the politicians and the Government?