GS Paper 3:
Syllabus: Internal Security related issues.
Context:
The demands for a “Bhil Pradesh” have of late begun to be raised again.
What is Bhil Pradesh?
- It is a demand for a separate state for tribal people in western India.
- The demand is to carve out a separate state from 39 districts spread over four states: 16 in Gujarat, 10 in Rajasthan, seven in Madhya Pradesh, and six in Maharashtra.
- Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader Govind Guru first raised the demand for a separate state for tribals back in 1913 after the Mangarh massacre.
Need for:
The locals say, after the division of states, tribals in the region were scattered. This suppressed their collective voices. As a result, most schemes related to their development have not benefited them.
The Mangarh massacre:
The massacre, which took place six years before Jallianwalla Bagh and is sometimes referred to as the “Adivasi Jallianwala”, saw hundreds of Bhil tribals being killed by British forces on November 17, 1913 in the hills of Mangarh on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Who are Bhils?
- Bhils or Bheels are an Adivasi ethnic group in West India. Bhils are listed as tribal people of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
- Bhils are one of the largest tribal group in India. They speak the Bhil languages.
Know about various separatist movements here:
- Reference: Have a brief overview here.
Sources: Indian Express.
