Natural justice demands that the next President of India be a Scheduled Tribe.
This is an important matter connected with
the selection/election of the next President of India - the 13th President of
India - who will enter into office on 25 July 2012. This is an opportunity when the main
political and community leaders in the country can truly demonstrate their
genuine concern for the indigenous tribal people and give them the assurances of
their support and understanding.
The indigenous people of India – of
the north-east particularly –are the remotest from the mainstream. They are
different in their culture and history; they speak different tongues and
practice different life-styles. Very often they are mistaken to be foreigners
and called ‘chinkies’ and it hurts them, creates identity crisis and make them
feel that they are not part of India. India needs to know them more, recognise
their differences.
Today the country is faced with the
biggest ever challenge from the indigenous tribal peoples. In the north-east
there is identity violence, in the central and eastern the Maoist movement;
these tribal unrest are spawning discontent and disaffection. This is the outcome of continuous exploitation
of the tribal and it has to be handled as an escalating emotional problem.
Violence and anger originate in the hearts of men; it is the tribal hearts that
India should win.
There should be a positive move to
draw them to the mainstream emotionally and not just the larger financial
support for the development. Without emotional integration there cannot be any
lasting unity in the country. They need to feel that they have someone to turn
to, who would listen to them as one of them and give them the dignity of their
identity.
Though the Scheduled Tribes comprise
of nearly 8% of the population which comes to about 85-90 million people, so
far no one from them has become the President of India or the Prime Minister.
Other minorities e.g. SC/Muslims/Sikh have become President, Prime Minister, Chief
Justice and Generals but no Scheduled Tribe has held these positions. Natural
justice demands that the next President of India be a Scheduled Tribe.
It will be in the right direction if a
tribal who is selected as the next President is a man of integrity, efficiency
and eminence. He should be the one who is a patriot and has practical
experience in pan Indian matters and who is familiar with different cultural
nuances of our plural population. It will also send a positive signal to the
international community that is truly an inclusive society where a person from
a midget minority can occupy the highest office of the land.
The present Governor of Meghalaya,
Shri Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary who has had a distinguished public career as an
IPS officer of Kerala cadre, the first State Chief Information Commissioner,
Assam and Governor of Meghalaya since July 2008 is a person of extraordinary
calibre. He enjoys excellent reputation and impeccable integrity, is a
non-controversial with acceptability across the political spectrum. He is
totally committed to building a society free from exploitation, corruption and
any type of discrimination. He is very well read and articulate, is a man of
broad outlook free from prejudice and pettiness and has the courage to stand up
for the right cause. Based on his merit alone he can be considered to become
the next President and his being a tribal makes him doubly eligible for the top
job. He possesses the charisma and charm, dignity and vision needed in the
person of our Rashtrapati; (Key in: www.meghalaya.gov.in
to view his CV).
We at the Indian Confederation of
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples(ICITP), national apex body of 310 Member
Organisations representing more than 700 Adivasis of India would like to appeal
to all the political parties of India to consider sponsoring a tribal, and
among them the present Governor of Meghalaya is the most suitable, for the 13th
President of India. This will make the indigenous tribes of India proud and help
mitigate their discontent, bring them closer to the mainstream and create
ethnic harmony and lasting national integration.
(Jebra Ram Muchahary) (Dr. Velaram Ghogra)
08876669606 09828275662
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