Why in the News?

A large number of people from the Bhil tribe recently gathered at a rally in Rajasthan’s Mangarh Dham to raise the demand for an independent ‘Bhil state’.

Background of the Bhil Pradesh Demand

• The idea of a tribal state, comprising parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, has been discussed previously.
• The demand for a separate tribal state in western India was put forward by the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) formed in 2017.
• The Bhil community has been demanding that 49 districts be carved out of the four states to establish Bhil Pradesh.
• The demand for Bhil Pradesh has been raised repeatedly since Independence.

Historical Context

• Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader Govind Guru first raised the demand for a separate state for tribals in 1913.
• The demand followed the Mangarh massacre, where hundreds of Bhil tribals were killed by British forces.
• The massacre took place six years before the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and is sometimes referred to as the “Adivasi Jallianwala”.

Reasons for the Demand

• Earlier, the tribal-majority regions were a single entity but were divided post-Independence.
• According to the 2011 census, tribals comprise almost 14% of Rajasthan’s population.
• Several Union governments have brought various laws and schemes for tribals but have been slow in implementation.

Example of Implementation Issues

• The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, aimed to decentralize governance and empower gram sabhas in tribal areas.
• The Rajasthan government adopted the law in 1999, but its rules were only formulated in 2011.
• Many people, including local leaders, are still unaware of the law.

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