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Island tribals raise quota cry by Tapas Chakraborty

The “Ranchiwallas” are on the warpath in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

These tribals from Jharkhand’s Chhotanagpur region, 400 of whom were first shipped to the islands by the British way back in 1918 to build roads, are demanding scheduled tribe status with job and education benefits under the C and D categories.

They have made it clear they are not seeking full reservation under the A and B categories — free ration, free medical care, assured jobs and land protection — granted to endangered and primitive tribals such as the Jarawas, Shompens and the Car Nicobarese. But island authorities are unwilling to consider their demand for fear it will shift the focus away from the protection of ancient tribes.

“We don’t want to snatch the facilities provided to more threatened tribals like the Jarawas. We want reservation in the third category after these original inhabitants. That will help our educated youngsters get jobs,” said Dinesh Oraon, a third-generation tribal and one of the agitation spearheads.

“The economic condition of the Ranchiwallas is very bad. We have nothing left in Chhotanagpur that we can go back there looking for jobs. Our relatives enjoy all facilities but we don’t. But our forefathers built all the roads here. Why shouldn’t we get our dues?” he asked over phone from Diglipur, about 300km from Port Blair.

The Ranchiwallas, a collective term used to describe the Oraons, Mundas, Kharias, Gonds, Chik Baniks and the Lohars from Chhotanagpur, first began their agitation on August 9 this year with a few thousands gathering at Diglipur. Serial demonstrations followed on November 30 at Diglipur, and at Mayabunder, Rangat and Baratang between December 1 and 3.

Starting from an initial count of 400 in 1918, the Ranchiwallas have now grown to a population of 70,000 in the Andamans. Between 1946 and 1952, about 4,000 more of these tribals were shipped to the islands.

They constitute the third of the four categories that the Andaman population is divided into. The first category is made up of indigenous tribals, labelled the “most primitive tribe” by the government of India. The second, called the Bhantus, were originally convicts shipped to the islands. The third are the Ranchiwallas, also called “Sathis”. Settlers from Bengal and Tamil Nadu and families of bureaucrats who opted to stay back comprise the last category.

The Ranchiwallas’ demand is being backed by Bishnupada Ray, the lone MP from the islands. Speaking over phone from Port Blair, he said it was highly unfair that they had been denied job and education quotas despite having settled in the islands decades ago.

“At present, 12 per cent reservation is being provided to scheduled tribes in the C and D categories under the direct recruitment quota of the Andaman and Nicobar administration. But these posts never get filled up,” he said.

“It is sad so many posts remain vacant. Why can’t the Ranchi community be declared as scheduled tribes and be provided these jobs?”

Ray, who joined one of the Ranchiwallas’ protests earlier this month, said a socio-economic survey had shown that these tribes from Chhotnagpur had remained “disempowered because of deprivation”.

“As many as 329 posts for the scheduled tribes are lying vacant. If the Oraons are registered as Group C or D scheduled tribes, their children who are educated can get a lot of benefits.”

Ray said he had raised the issue in Parliament recently, after which tribal welfare minister Kantilal Bhuria had asked the islands’ administration to recommend listing the Ranchiwallas as scheduled tribes. But that was not done.

The Andaman director of tribal welfare, Ajay Saxena, declined comment on the matter. However, sources in his office said the administration was desisting because it feared “a shift of focus from the protection of threatened tribals like Jarawas and Shompens”.