A meeting of tribal leaders was held in Nashik on Saturday, when it was decided that both sitting and former tribal legislators as well as parliamentarians would be invited to a meeting to be held here on June 5. The invitees also include tribal leaders and others involved in tribal upliftment. The name of the proposed party, its constitution and other formalities will be finalised at the meeting.

The invitation-cum-appeal dispatched to the invitees reviews the economic and political status of adivasis in the state since Independence; their exploitation by political and religious forces; their problems including displacement by projects; andatrocities by forest and police officials who treat them as encroachers on forest land.

Tribal leaders say a political party would act as a pressure group for tribal welfare, pointing out that existing parties have failed in to address the adivasis' problems.

The largely urban-bred bureaucracy and politicians have done precious little for this section of the polulation and as long as tribal leaders continue to get elected on tickets of existing political parties, there is no scope for improvement.

Funds earmarked for tribal welfare are usually diverted for other purposes, budgetary provisions are meagre and benefits meant for tribals are usurped by non-tribals on the basis of fake certificates, local leaders point out. They say a political pressure group of tribals would also facilitate the creation of autonomous tribal councils and districts.

A convenor of the June 5 meeting told The Indian Express that the timing is right for the cration of a tribal party as many tribal legislators arefrusturated with the existing polity. Moreover, both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are due in less than a year. Four Lok Sabha (Dahanu, Malegaon, Dhule and Nandurbar) and 21 Assembly constituencies in the state have been reserved for scheduled tribes.

On January 21, 1996, several tribal leaders and legislators including K C Padvi (Independent MLA from Akrani), Shivram Zole (Congress MLA from Igatpuri), Arjun Pawar (BJP MLA from Kalwan), Shivajirao Moghe (Ind MLA from Kolapur, Yavatmal), Harishchandra Chavan (Ind MLA from Surgana) and Haribabu Mahale (ex-JD MLA and MP) had attended a meeting called by Wahru Sonawane to demand autonomous tribal development councils in tribal areas of the state. Besides, former tribal welfare minister Arjun Pawar (who was dropped from the state Cabinet when Manohar Joshi resigned a few months ago) and former BJP MP from Malegaon Kachrubhau Raut had reiterated the need for such councils.

The the 1991 census pegs the tribal population in the state at 9.27 per cent of thetotal population of 7.89 crore. The tribals are scattered over 13 districts in eight talukas in Gadchiroli, 7 talukas in Chandrapur, five talukas each in Thane and Nashik; four talukas in Dhule; three talukas each in Jalgaon, Pune, Bhandara and Amravati, two talukas in Nagpur, and one taluka each in Nanded, Ahmednagar and Yavatmal districts.