Dedicated to the Tribal Cause Dr. B.D. Sharma
F ormer IAS officer, former chairman of
National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
Commission and former vice- chancellor of North
Eastern Hill University DrBrahmDev Sharma,
popularly known Dr BD Sharma, breathed his last
at his residence in Gwalior on 6th December 2015.
He was 86. He was ailing since last one year.
RytuCooliSangham (AP) and All India
KhetMazdoor and KisanSabha (AIKMKS) pay
homage to the departed friend of adivasi people.
The fond remembrances of his two decade long
association with our organization and with the
adivasi people of Andhra Pradesh will always
inspire us in our endeavour to bring a better and
respectable life to the adivasis.
Dr B.D. Sharma joined the Indian
Administrative Services in the year 1956. He is
basically a student of Mathematics with doctorate
in the same subject. He was posted as Collector
and District Magistrate to Bastar district, the largest
24
tribal tract of the country. While serving in the
central government and also state government, he
was responsible for the formulation of adivasi
policies particularly what is known as ST Sub–plan
strategy. He was also instrumental in bringing back
the Fifth Schedule, as the vital instrument of policy
for the very survival of adivasi people, on the
national agenda.
Dr Sharma resigned from government service
in 1981 when differences arose on vital issues of
policy. He became the Vice Chancellor of North
Eastern Hill University and worked in that position
from 1981 to 1986. He occupied the highest
constitutional position concerning adivasi people,
as the last commissioner for Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes during 1986-91. Thereafter
separate National Commissions were constituted
for SCs and STs,
Since 1991, Dr Sharma has been with the
tribal people and is actively participating in tribal
movements. He is leading the Bharat Jan Andolan
(Indian People’s Movement) as its National
Coordinator which was formed in October 1992.
Its presence is very strong in Ranchi region of
Bihar, Nagari–Sihawa region in Raipur District and
Sarguja district of Madhya Pradesh. The Andolan
works on the issues of peasants and adivasis.
In 1992 Bharat Jan Andolan released its first
manifesto. In 1993 when the Panchayats became
the institutions of decentralization through the 73rd
Amendment of the Constitution, the Andolan
focused its energies on tribal self-rule. The Andolan
is not a registered society because Sharma
believes that if they seek legitimacy from the state
then their endeavor and mass movement to
delegitimize the state will weaken.. All the workers
volunteer their services and their daily needs are
taken care of by the village in which they live. Dr.
Sharma contributes his pension to the movement
and mobilizes some financial support from
sympathetic and supportive individuals. Out of
principle, the movement does not accept any
organizational grants or aid.
contd on page 23
Class Struggle