We Call Tribals “Adivasi,” But BJP Wants Them To Stay In Forests: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that while his party refers to tribals as ‘Adivasis’, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) limits them to being just ‘Vanvasis’. He made these remarks during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam’s Majuli. He tried to explain the difference between the two terms.

Rahul Gandhi said, “We call you Adivasi; they call you Vanvasi. Do you know the difference between these two? Adivasi means the first citizens, while Vanvasi means those who live in the forest.” Rahul said that while the BJP wants the tribals to live in the jungle and deprive their children of education.

The BJP does not want your children to attend colleges and universities. But the Congress wants to give back what has been wrongfully taken from them. “The BJP wants all of you to just stay in the forests. They do not want your children to get a great education.

They don’t want the adivasi children to go to colleges and universities, not to learn English, and to run businesses. We want to give back what has been taken from you. Your land, forest, and water should be given back to you. This is why we brought upon laws and tribal bills to give back what is yours,” Rahul Gandhi explained.

The Congress leader said despite a civil war-like situation in Manipur for months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet visited the state. Slamming the BJP, Rahul said, “We started the Yatra from Manipur. The BJP has burned down Manipur. There was a civil war-like situation going on in Manipur for months.

People are killing each other, but the Prime Minister has not visited Manipur till today.” He also mentioned the BJP’s failure to bring about the Naga Accord. He added, “In Nagaland, where we were yesterday, the Prime Minister had promised to bring about the accord nine years ago, but he did not keep his word.”