NCM takes note of Christians 'grouses against Land Revenue law

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) The National Commission for Minorities has advised the Chhattisgarh Government to redress the grievances of the tribal Christians against the state Land Revenue Code which they say was being selectively used to prevent them from setting up schools and dispensaries.

The Commission, which visited the tribal areas of the state following several complaints of the discriminatory manner in which the law was being use there, cautioned the state Goverment against allowing a section of the people living with a feeling of being marginalised, in an area which was the stronghold of naxalites.

The Christians gave their account of the situation at a public hearing held between March 27 and 29 in Jashpur, Pathalgaon and Bilaspur in the presence of, Vice Chairman of the Commission MP Pinto and, Member Dileep Padgaonkar.

Section 170 B of the Code has a very laudable intention of protecting the interest of the poor and illiterate Adivasis by banning sale of their agricultural land to a non-adivasi and requiring anyone in possession of such a land acquired between 1959 and 1980 to communicate this to the SDM, who would conduct an inquiry to decide whether the transaction was valid or fraudulent.

The allegation, the Commission said, was that it was being selectively used to prevent Christian tribals from setting up schools, dispensaries and other institutions that could cater to the needs of their community.

The tribal Christians explained that they were not capable of setting up these themselves and therefore, handed over their land to socities exclusively of fellow adivasis for the benefit of the whole community.

Administrative officials told the NCM that the law did not allow such societies to be treated as tribal. Hence the property could not transferred to such societies. Only Adivasi individuals, not societies, can get protection under the Act.

On the other hand, Christian tribals complained to the NCM that the administration had not taken any action under this law against other communities, including non-tribal ones.

The NCM said official statistics revealed that 87 per cent of the cases initiated under Section 170 B after October 2007 were against Christian institutions.

The Commission said its team could not say whether this figure was out of proportion to the Christian population in the district since the officials were unable to provide the relevant census data.

It advised the state government to either amend the law or interpret it in the widest possible manner to dispel the feeling of injustice among Christians.

The NCM also advised the state government not to allow social and political groups to exploit religious sentiments for their narrow ends.

''Such groups have been indulging in hate propaganda against Christians in general and the Christian missionaries in particular,'' it said.

UNI