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| Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of Tapi as the state's 26th district on Oct. 2, 2007. The day marked the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a native of Gujarat, who successfully led India's independence struggle from British colonial rule. The new district derives its name from the river Tapi, which flows through the state's tribal-dominated southeastern region. Its headquarters is Vyara, 330 kilometers south of Ahmedabad, the state's commercial hub. Ahmedabad is 915 kilometers southwest of New Delhi. Jesuit Father Stanny Jebamalai, who heads the Vyara-based Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, says the new district "has not served the purpose." He pointed out that local people had for the past two decades demanded the tribal areas of Surat district be made a new district. However, they are now dissatisfied as the redistricting left that tribal pocket truncated and politically weakened, the priest told UCA News. Only half the district's 10 predominantly tribal taluka (subdivisions) went to the new district, while Surat retained the rest. Prior to the division, Surat, with nearly 5 million people, was the second-biggest district in Gujarat after Ahmedabad, which has 5.8 million people. Tapi now has about 719,000 people, nearly 98 percent of them tribal. The tribal subdivisions that remain in Surat have 520,000 people, more than 90 percent of them tribal. Nearly 15 percent of the tribal people are Christians. "We wanted to unify and strengthen the tribal people sharing common language and culture. However, it has not happened, as more than 500,000 tribals are still left with Surat district," Father Jebamalai explained. Such division makes the tribal communities "politically ineffective" and obstructs "their long-term aspirations," he said, noting that they share historical and socioeconomic realities too. Keeping them together would have "strengthened tribal identity and created a distinct consciousness" among them, he asserted. If the government is "really interested" in tribal people's development, it should unite them, the priest added. Raymond Chaudhari, a Catholic representing Vyara-based Adivasi Sangharsh Samiti (society for the tribal struggle), agrees. He says keeping the 10 subdivisions together would help improve self-respect and dignity among the tribal people and enhance their prosperity. Pareshbhai Vasava, a tribal activist, acknowledges the new district has solved many hassles for local people. Vasava lives in Songadh taluka, 175 kilometers from Surat. Vyara is only 60 kilometers away. However, he also questions the government's wisdom in keeping the other five subdivisions with Surat. Ashok Gamit, a Vyara-based journalist, also says Tapi should include all 10 taluka for better administration of tribal areas. Jesuit Father Xavier Manjooran, who heads a social service organization in the region, predicts tribal people in Surat will not get many benefits meant for tribal advancement, since they are now a smaller minority in the district. Tribal people in Gujarat are spread over 11 districts in the state's southeastern region. They account for 15 percent of the state's 50.7 million people. The Church manages several schools, health-care centers, technical institutes and other facilities in the tribal area. Church workers also strive to empower tribal people to fight for their rights. This at times has led to tension between the Church and radical Hindu groups who also operate there. Several attacks on Christians have occurred in the area, especially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian people's party) came to power in the state in 1995. The party is considered the political arm of groups that want to make India a Hindu theocracy. The latest reported attack took place in the third week of December. | |||
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