The Hindu : Bills for STs panel, protection of non-tribals' rights passed

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Saturday, Aug 09, 2003

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Bills for STs panel, protection of non-tribals' rights passed

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 8. The Lok Sabha had a welcome break from the acrimony that has marked its proceedings over the last few days, to unanimously pass two Constitution Amendment Bills.

The first Bill empowers the Government to set up a separate National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes, while the second Bill seeks to protect the rights of the non-tribals in the newly-elected Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam.

Both the Bills were passed unanimously in the Lok Sabha after the House agreed to do away with the question hour in order to take up both the legislations.

Piloting the Ninety-Ninth Amendment Bill, dealing with the rights of non-tribals in the BTC, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, told the House that the decision to establish the BTC was taken after 21 rounds of talks involving the Centre, the State Government and the Bodo Liberation Tigers. He assured the House that no changes would take place in the boundaries of the North-Eastern States despite pressure from certain quarters.

Mr. Advani also sought to allay the fears of the Congress MPs that the Centre was using outfits such as the NSCN (I-M) to "destabilise its State Governments."

"I can assure the members that the Centre has no desire to destabilise any State Government."

He also made it clear that the State Governments were free to deal with issues such as violence and extortion in the manner they deemed fit.

Referring to the problems of overnight changes in Governments because of large-scale defections, Mr. Advani told the House that the Government was considering introducing a law limiting the size of the Ministries in the smaller States, besides strengthening the anti-defection law. Hopefully, these measures would ensure a greater degree of stability, he said.

The Lok Sabha passed the Ninety-Fourth Amendment Bill, making provision for the setting up of a National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes, and another to keep intact the existing representation of tribals and non-tribals in the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The Ninety-Fourth amendment focuses on the need for setting up a separate commission for the Scheduled Tribes by bifurcating the existing National Commission for the Scheduled Castes. The Ninety-Ninth amendment seeks to protect the rights of the non-tribals in the Bodo Territorial Council.

The Minister for Tribal affairs, Jewel Oram, said the proposed Commission for the Scheduled Tribes would comprise a chairperson and two other members and the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes shall have a chairperson, vice-chairperson and three other members.

By setting up a separate commission for the STs, the Government had shown its commitment to their welfare, said Mr. Oram.

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