New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Madhya Pradesh to diffuse any misinformation campaigns by the Opposition related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and love jihad, especially in tribal-dominated seats.
RSS, the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, in a meeting held Sunday with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state party president V.D. Sharma suggested that all booth-level units on the ground be educated to counter such campaigns targeted to damage BJP’s prospect on tribals and Scheduled Caste (SC)-dominated seats in the upcoming assembly elections, likely to be held before November this year.
The meeting was also attended by 22 affiliate organisations of the RSS, including Vidya Bharti, Sanskar Bharti, and Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad.
In a conversation with ThePrint, a Madhya Pradesh BJP functionary who was present at the meeting, said, “While coordination meetings are usual, special concerns were raised this time due to the upcoming assembly elections.”
“Opposition and other organisations can create confusion among tribals and SC on a range of issues. For instance, during the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, there were campaigns in the western UP Jat belt to damage the BJP. Similarly, during the Bihar assembly elections in 2015, there was a campaign to misguide SC and OBC communities after (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat asked for a ‘review’ of reservation policy. There is a need for constant vigilance and maintaining social harmony during election time,” he said.
The BJP currently holds power in Madhya Pradesh, a state with a significant tribal population. In Chhattisgarh, though, the party has faced defeat in tribal-dominated seats. Rajasthan is another state with a substantial tribal population. The upcoming election in all three states, plus the Northeastern state of Mizoram pose a significant challenge for the BJP. The party’s primary concern is to contain the spread of misinformation campaigns targeting tribal communities, as they tend to vote based on emotional issues.
In November 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in MP, had said: “The BJP calls adivasis ‘vanvasis’ (forest dwellers). The Congress calls you ‘adivasi’, the original stakeholders in India and the holders of the country’s resources. They snatch your rights away from you, saying your land was never yours and will never be yours. They say you belong in the forest.” ‘Vanvasi’ is a term used by the Sangh Parivar, which works extensively in tribal areas, to protect them from religious conversion.
With this, Rahul had aimed to undermine the BJP’s prospects in tribal-dominated seats in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Speaking to ThePrint, Omprakash Dhurwey, BJP National Secretary, said: “The party has done massive work for tribals — implementing the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act to give greater rights to the tribal communities, celebrating Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, legalising mahua liquor, giving land rights to tribals, and starting the sickle cell anaemia elimination mission in tribals areas. However, tribals vote on emotional issues. Any misgivings towards the BJP could spread like wildfire. There is also less penetration of communication mediums. That is why we need to remain alert before polls.”
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‘Several organisations making efforts to dent BJP’s prospects in tribals seats’
Last week, the Law Commission invited suggestions from the public regarding the UCC within a specific timeframe. This has raised concerns among the RSS and its affiliated organisations working in election-bound Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh regarding the response of tribal communities towards the UCC. Many tribal communities have previously expressed reservations about their potential assimilation into Hinduism through the implementation of the UCC.
According to media reports, in 2016, the Rashtriya Adivasi Ekta Parishad had approached the Supreme Court seeking protection of their customs and religious practices, including their right to practice polygamy and polyandry.
In February 2023, the Mizoram government — ruled by NDA ally Mizo National Front (MNF) — had adopted a resolution opposing any move to implement the UCC. Similarly, according to reports, Meghalaya and Nagaland have witnessed protests over this issue.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest tribal population in India — about 21.5 per cent, according to the 2011 Census — while SCs comprise 15.6 per cent. As many as 47 of the state’s seats are reserved for STs.
The BJP lost power in Madhya Pradesh in 2018 due to bad performance in tribal-dominated seats, winning only 16 seats, against 31 in 2013. Of the 35 seats reserved for SCs, it won 17 in 2018, as compared to 28 in 2013.
Speaking to ThePrint, a BJP national general secretary, said, “We lost in 2018 due to lack of support of tribals and SC in reserved constituencies. The party won 109 seats against Congress’s 114 in 2018, but our tally was reduced in SC and tribal dominated seats. Several organisations, like the JAYS (Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti) and Bhim Army are making efforts to dent the BJP’s prospects in tribal seats, particularly in the Gwalior and Chambal region.”
“Even the Gondwana Gantantra Party is trying to stitch an alliance with the Congress. Although the BJP has made a conscious effort in the past to win back tribals — Droupadi Murmu was made the President of India, the highest office in the country — any misinformation campaign could wash away our efforts in these seats,” he added.
A BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh told the print that though the UCC has been on the party’s agenda for a long time, the timing may not be right for a debate on this issue.
“The government can’t pass UCC in the upcoming monsoon session. At best, it can be introduced in the winter session, but the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh elections will be over by then. Tribals organisations and the Congress could create confusion to divide tribal votes. It could, however, be a game changer in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. We should fight assembly elections on local issues and welfare politics.”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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