Ahead of Gujarat polls, Congress, BJP slug it out over tribal votes

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Gujarat elections, a political war has broken out between the ruling BJP and Congress over the critical tribal votes, with the hallowed tribal spot Mangarh Dham as the centre of competitive politics.
It is reliably learnt that the Centre is planning to declare the Dham as a “monument of national importance”. Dham is a known spot where a massacre by the British killed around 1,500 natives. It has over the years been developed as a historical place in keeping with the sentiments of the tribal community and a tribute to the contributions of saint Govind Guru, with a Tribal Freedom Struggle Museum as a key attraction.
But even as the Centre is reported to be considering the move, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Dham be declared a national monument. Stressing the importance of the place, Gehlot pointed out that he has written two letters to the Prime Minister in the past raising the demand.
What makes the whole issue interesting is that Modi is likely to visit Mangarh on November 1, and there is a possibility that he could announce the national monument status for the place.
This has led to a belief among some members of the ruling camp in Delhi that the Rajasthan CM, as the host of Mangarh, got a sniff of the upcoming announcement, and stepped in the nick of time to take the sheen off the PM’s possible announcement which would obviously have a political significance as anoutreach to the sprawling tribal community in Gujarat.
Located in Banswara district in Udaipur division of Rajasthan, Mangarh straddles the desert state and Gujarat, while also being a centre of reverence for the tribals of Madhya Pradesh. The Bhil tribals inhabit the region and are a crucial votebank for political parties in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
A day after the Chintan Shivir in May, the Congress leadership led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul addressed a big rally in Banswara. Congress has been focusing on the tribal region for the Gujarat elections, and has a good following in the community. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi’s visit on November 1 will add an extra edge to the politics for tribal votes. In the middle of the fight for community support, Mangarh Dham and the demand that it be declared national monument will provide another platform to political parties to further their outreach.