Rathwa community warns of boycotting political parties

VADODARA: Even as the state government has formed a committee to look into the demands of the Rathwa community, its leaders has warned of boycotting political party that fails to raise their issue with the government.

The community has been facing difficulties as the land revenue records do not mention the community as tribal. The land revenue records mention them as ‘Koli’ which comes under the other backward classes (OBC), due to which the community is not able to enjoy the benefits as tribal. As the land revenue records do not recognize the community as tribal, youth of the community getting government jobs in ST quota are receiving notices.

“The issue rose when the government started the exercise of digitizing land revenue records. In the process, we were mentioned as either Koli or Rathwa Koli which makes us OBC. After the Indian Constitution came into place, people from our community received land parcels for farming but in the records only our first names were mentioned and not the community’s title,” said convenor of the movement Jemal Rathwa.

Jemal said that even as the government has formed the committee it cannot do much as it consists of BJP MP Ramsinh Rathwa and Sankheda MLA Abhesinh Tadvi, both of whom are facing similar issue.

“We are going to form a committee which will meet heads of different political parties and ask them to raise our issue with the government. The party which will not support us will not be allowed to campaign in our region and their candidate will also be boycotted,” Jemal added.