New Delhi: While the Congress party calls tribals ‘Adivasis’, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calls them ‘Vanvasis’, an Assam leader has explained the difference between the two.
Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP, who is currently on a Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam, made the distinction between the two tribal communities during a public meeting in Majuli.
Explaining the difference between the two, Rahul Gandhi said, “We call you Adivasi; they call you Vanvasi. Do you know the difference between the two? Adivasi means the first citizens, those who have come to the earth first. Vanvasi means those who stay in the forest.”
“BJP wants you to stay in the jungle. They do not want your children to go to colleges and universities, not to learn English, not 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 said.
The Congress leader further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to visit Manipur even though the state has witnessed a civil war for months.
“We started the Yatra from Manipur. The BJP has burnt down Manipur. For months a civil war like situation is going on in Manipur. People are killing each other and till today the Prime Minister has not visited Manipur,” Rahul Gandhi said.