AARM Convention on Exclusion of Adivasis from Jobs
Mahesh Kumar
A NATIONAL convention was organised by the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) and the Centre for Adivasi Research and Development (CARD) on December 1 in New Delhi on the important though less discussed issue of exclusion of adivasis from jobs. The convention was attended by 300 delegates from 15 states. The convention was attended by representatives of other Adivasi organisations such as the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, SRUTI and the Adivasis Ekta Mahasabha. The leaders of various fraternal organisations, such as All India State Government Employees’ Federation (AISGEF), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Democratic Women’s Federation (AIDWA), All India Agricultural Workers’ Federation (AIAWU), Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) and National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) also attended the convention. It was noteworthy that the delegates mainly comprised adivasi youth, government employees and teachers apart from the state leaders of AARM. The event, held at HKS Bhavan in New Delhi focused on the alarming marginalisation of adivasis in government and public sector employment, reflecting the systematic erosion of their constitutional right to reservations.
A key highlight of the convention was the presentation by Prof Vikas Rawal of a report titled “Exclusion of Adivasis from Jobs” prepared by the Centre for Adivasi Research and Development (CARD). The report detailed the multi-pronged attack on traditional rights of jal, jangal, zameen of adivasi communities by the BJP-led central government. Using its majority in Parliament it has pushed through amendments to laws and regulations, severely undermining the already limited safeguards available to adivasis. These include amendments to the Forest Conservation Act and its Rules, which have removed the mention of “gram sabha”, and modifications to the Forest Rights Act and Mining and Minerals Development laws, eliminating the need for free and informed consent from adivasis for projects in their regions. The report shed light on the impact of privatisation in key sectors such as defence, mining, power, and irrigation, where powerful, unregulated private companies have encroached upon adivasi areas.
The report presented a comprehensive picture of the rank discrimination against adivasis in the area of employment and cited data from the Annual Report on Pay and Allowances of Central Government Civilian Employees. Since 2014, the proportion of STs in central government positions has fallen from 8.55 to 7.33 per cent by 2022, as per partial data from the Department of Personnel and Training. This is another aspect highlighted by the report. The central government is concealing data of the status of reserved posts and is not giving the full picture in its reports since 2018. For example there is no data on the number of reserved posts in the over 10 lakh vacancies in the central government posts. Data for just nine ministries shows 12,167 vacant ST-reserved posts. Moreover, as significantly noted by the Parliamentary Committee on Social Justice, a large number of jobs are outsourced or given on contract in which there is no reservation. The committee has recommended that all such employment for which public money is used from the Consolidated Fund of India must include reservations for all employees.
Privatisation and contractualisation have led to a 35 per cent reduction in CPSE employment since 2014. Over 25,169 ST-reserved positions were lost during this period, particularly in Group C and D posts. While overall ST job losses were 23 per cent, losses in Group C and D posts reached 33 per cent. In insurance and banking sectors too, the record is dismal. A parliamentary committee report on LIC noted that in LIC, records of reservations were not being made available. It said that all of the 1100 vacant posts were in the reserved category and noted that“a large percentage of reserved posts have been kept vacant without any explanation.”
The absolute number of ST teachers in schools, public as well as private, has fallen sharply, from 761,569 in 2018-19 to 726,728 in 2021-22 – in other words the absolute number of ST teachers decreased by 35,000.
Census 2011 showed that only 2 per cent of doctors and 2.99 per cent of nurses were from ST communities. Privatisation of medical education and healthcare has further limited opportunities for STs, exacerbating disparities in healthcare delivery in tribal areas.
CPI(M) leader and chairperson of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM), Jitendra Chaudhury, strongly criticised the Modi government for its continuous erosion of adivasi rights. Speaking at the convention, he said, “The attacks on adivasi rights have increased exponentially since the Modi government came to power. Constitutional safeguards for adivasis, such as fair compensation norms for land acquisition, are being flagrantly violated by the centre. Chaudhury also highlighted the declining representation of adivasis in central government jobs. He remarked, “The Centre has failed to create new employment opportunities, and the significant backlog in Group C and D posts remains unaddressed. This deliberate neglect is denying adivasis their rightful place in public sector employment.”
Pulin Baske, national convenor of AARM, and vice-president of AARM and senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the urgent need to protect the constitutional rights of adivasis and resist policies that undermine their livelihoods and access to employment. Brinda Karat emphasized the importance of approaching trade unions and especially the federations working in insurance, banking and government sectors where the discrimination against adivasis is so blatant to jointly take up the issues of discrimination against adivasis.
Nineteen speakers from different states spoke of their experiences and also presented concrete data from their states which will be added to the report.
The report of the conference and demands will be given to the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs. The AARM has also given a call to protest at Raj Bhawans across states to raise the demands adopted by the convention.
The convention in its concluding session put forward following demands before the Modi government:
- Ensure reservation of jobs for STs in the government in proportion to the adivasi population currently estimated at 8.6 per cent as a national average by census 2011, and be increased on the basis of the forthcoming census.
- All government jobs whether casual, contract, work charged or daily rated must implement the reserved quota. Exemptions given for this type of recruitment as well as those on deputation must be removed. All schemes such as the ELI proposed in the 2024 budget must implement the reservation policy.
- Reservations in jobs must be extended to the private sector.
- All backlog vacancies in government, PSUs, teaching professions and other sectors and institutions must be filled.
- Comprehensive data on implementation of reservations in recruitment and promotions by government ministries and departments, by public sector financial institutions, etc must be published regularly.
- Provide complete data on grade-wise sanctioned and vacant posts, with the status of reservations, in all government organisations including central and state governments, central and state-level public sector enterprises, railways, public sector banks and other financial institutions, educational institutions, and medical institutions.
- Provide data on representation of Scheduled Tribes among contractual employees (grade-wise), para teachers, other contractual workers and scheme workers (including anganwadi, ASHA and mid-day meal workers).
- End policies of privatisation.
- Coaching centres and skill development centres must be opened in all scheduled areas.
or reload the browser
