Tired of Cong & BJP, MP Adivasis Want to Fight Back on the Ballot

Dr Hiralal Alawa’s JAYS plans to contest 2018 elections across 80 seats and will field adivasi candidates.

Dr Hiralal Alawa, founder of Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti.

(Photo: Rahul Nair/The Quint)

“When I was in Delhi I realised that there is a gap of a 100 years between urban sprawls and Adivasi villages. There have been so many leaders from the Tribal belt who are part of the BJP and the Congress. And these leaders have never delivered on their promises. That is when I decided its time to quit AIIMS and return to my village for my Adivasi brothers and sisters.”

Dr Hiralal Alawa, Founder of Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS)

His followers adore him and the community looks up to him, especially when he declares that the next government in Madhya Pradesh will be formed by the Adivasis. Although it is early days for his organisation, Dr Hiralal Alawa has been touted as a kingmaker, should his candidates win the tribal dominated seats in the upcoming Assembly elections on 28 November.

Dr Alawa’s Jay Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) plans to contest the 2018 elections across 80 seats where he will field young candidates as independents who will take on the might of the BJP and the Congress.

Social Media Juggernaut

Dr Hiralal Alawa was the assistant professor in the rheumatology  department of AIIMS in New Delhi. He quit his post in 2016Photo Courtey @ JAYS

Dr Alawa’s movement started in 2012 on Facebook, where many disgruntled youths joined him to voice their dissent against lack of development in the tribal belts of Madhya Pradesh.

“We started a group named Adivasi Yuva Shakti on Facebook which garnered support from the Tribal youth from 15 states across the country. We observed that everywhere the problems faced by Adivasis are the same. They are being driven out of their lands, there is lack of education and health care, they are migrating to urban sprawls in search of menial jobs and the curse of malnutrition looms over their heads. We realised we must mobilise and thus organised a ‘Facebook Mahapanchayat’ in 2013 where in we called our volunteers from across the country. This is when our movement truly took off.”

Dr Hiralal Alawa, JAYS

In 2016, Alawa quit AIIMS and returned to his hometown Kukshi in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.

“It became clear that we have to enter the political arena to make an impact. But before we took the plunge, we had to become visible to our Adivasi community. The last two years has seen our movement grow rapidly thanks to social media. Thousands have joined us and emboldened us to take the plunge this election season. There is no turning back now.”

Dr Hiralal Alawa, JAYS

Striking a Chord With the Community

On 2 October this year, 35-year-old Alawa organised his largest rally at his home town, Kukshi in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh and invited Bollywood Actor Govinda as a star campaigner.

Roping in Govinda indicates that Dr Alawa knows his politics. Not only has he targeted the tribal vote bank, he is clearly not shy of the occasionally balancing his emotional rhetoric with a Bollywood-style gimmick. He admits that Govinda was invited as a crowd-puller.

“I had to bring Govinda for my people. He drew the crowd out of their homes and united them for our cause. For years they have been fooled by the BJP and Congress; it’s time the momentum shifts in our favour so that we can implement the laws and regulations mentioned in the constitution that promises protection for the Adivasis,” Dr Alawa said.

Govinda was roped in to attract large crowds during the Kisan Mahapanchayat organised by JAYS on 2 October.(Photo: Rahul Nair/The Quint)

Dr Alawa also organised a Dalit Adhikar Yatra through July this year and held rallies across 20 tribal-dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh, where he apprised the Adivasis about their rights mentioned in the Constitution of India.

“There are constitutional and legal provisions that safeguard the rights of the Adivasis – Schedule V and VI of the Constitution, Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act or PESA Act and the Recognition of Forest Rights Act. The BJP and the Congress have left the Adivasis blind for decades to usurp their lands, leaving them penniless and hungry. But we will use these constitutional and legal provisions and empower our brothers and sisters. The Yatra was a success and we have managed to disseminate knowledge to our men and women about their rights.”

Dr Hiralal Alawa

Young Blood to Represent Change

Raviraj Baghel, who is the president of JAYS in Indore, Madhya Pradesh said, “We are seeking young candidates who are educated and hold a scientific thought process. The politicians of the past have exploited our community and only spread lies and superstitions. We are currently vetting nomination forms filed by hundreds of young Adivasi hopefuls across the 20 tribal-dominated districts in the state. We will produce a candidates list soon.”

JAYS supporters are optimistic that this time JAYS will emerge as the kingmaker and form the government in Bhopal.

“JAYS is here to help the community. We have seen them mobilise Adivasis across the state and they will be a force to reckon with in this year’s elections. BJP and Congress made us suffer for years, this time they will bow down to us,” said Asha Barghav, a resident of Chandupura Village in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh.

An Uphill Battle

Although they are popular in the tribal belt of Madhya Pradesh, JAYS has many hurdles along the way. They lack the experience, manpower and funding that the BJP and Congress enjoy.

To top it off, the candidates from JAYS will contest the elections as independents.

“There is a reason why JAYS has not registered as a party. If we bring JAYS out as a party for the Adivasis, they will put us in the same basket with the Congress and BJP. Thus, its important that we win their confidence first and contest the elections as independents.”

Dr Hiralal Alawa

He added, “We will request the State Election Commission to provide us with a common symbol so that our community can vote for one banner in the upcoming elections. We will also procure signed affidavits from our candidates to ensure that they do join the BJP or Congress when the results are declared.”

However, to an officer at the Election Commission under anonymity told The Quint that the EC will not issue a common symbol for independent candidates who claim to be ‘together’. 

That facility, the officer said, is extended only to political parties. Individuals are encouraged to contest independently, however, each individual will get a unique symbol on the ballot sheet. That could hurt JAYS and Alawa on voting day, especially in the tribal areas, where voters who are not literate make their choices according to recognisable election symbols.