Ranchi, Jan. 6 -- Former Chief Minister Champai Soren on Tuesday strongly criticised the Jharkhand government over the newly framed Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Rules, accusing it of deceiving the tribal community and diluting the very spirit of the PESA Act.
Addressing a press conference, Soren said that despite repeated directions from the High Court and sustained opposition movements, the government has brought a rules framework that is "completely anti-tribal" and poses the "biggest threat to the existence of Adivasi society."He alleged that in the name of PESA, the state government has fundamentally altered its original character.
Soren pointed out that key elements such as customary law and traditional religious ...