The demand for a separate state for tribals was once again raised by the tribal community during a rally organized at Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan a couple of days ago.
The event was held under the aegis of the Bhil Pradesh Mukti Morcha, where thousands of tribals from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh gathered and demanded the formation of Bhil Pradesh by combining the scheduled tribe-dominated areas of these states.
Rajkumar Roat, the Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) MP from the Banswara-Dungarpur seat in Rajasthan, shared a map of Bhil Pradesh on his social media handle and claimed it was released by the British in 1896. He stated, “The demand for Bhil Pradesh is not new but a historical sentiment of the tribal community. The map was released by the British in 1896, as they felt that this was a tribal area and it was difficult to mess with the Bhils.”
Roat, who led the rally, criticized his opponents, stating, “Some people say that a state cannot be formed based on caste. But on what basis can leaders of a national party talk about Hindu Rashtra in the name of religion?”
Notably, Roat frequently cites a historic episode from 1913, when over 1,500 tribal people were allegedly killed at Mangarh under British rule while demanding tribal rights under the leadership of social reformer Govind Guru. That incident is commemorated every year, and the rally held recently marked yet another powerful remembrance of the sacrifice — but this time, it also signaled BAP’s intent to push the demand for Bhil Pradesh more aggressively, both on the ground and in Parliament.
However, the demand sparked intense political reactions from the ruling BJP. Former Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, Rajendra Rathore, condemned the call for Bhil Pradesh as “treason,” accusing Roat of promoting divisive politics.
“Any slogan or campaign that seeks to divide the country or challenge its unity should not be accepted under any circumstances. Unfortunately, some people are promoting misleading and divisive narratives like Bhil Pradesh, ignoring constitutional spirit and national interest,” said Rathore.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s Law Minister Jogaram Patel remarked that no state in India has been formed based on caste or religion. “This is not right. They should demand development of their area and talk about the needs there, but demanding a state based on caste is not acceptable,” he said.
