Explained: Who Are Bhils And Why Are They Demanding A Separate State

Pooja Yadav
Pooja Yadav
Updated on Jun 05, 2022, 10:50 IST- 4 min read -90 Shares
bhil community

Bhil, a tribal community in western parts of India is demanding the creation of a separate state for them by carving out some districts from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Why does the Bhil community demand a separate state and is it possible under the constitution of India?

What is the Bhil tribal community?

Bhil community comprises of over 1.7 crore population (2013 data), is spread in Indian states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Tripura.

bhil community Drishti IAS/Representational image

Among the largest tribe in India, the word Bhil comes from “Veel” which means “bow” in the Dravidian language. The community is also known as the "Dhanush Purush of India" for having an excellent knowledge of Dhanush.

The Bhil community is divided into two castes, Ujaliya/Kshatriya Bhil and Langot Bhil. Khstariya Bhils are said to have migrated to forests after the Mughal invasion while the latter lives in the forests and follow their old customs.

The community majorly survives on agriculture and animal husbandry along with poultry and labour work.

Why Bhil tribe is demanding a separate state?

The voices of a separate state are arising from the tribal belt of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. They are demanding a merger of several districts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

bhil community Ne.cab

The community is demanding a separate state, Bhil Pradesh because many schemes with regard to their development have not reportedly benefited them because people from the community have scattered to several other regions. Thus, they want to unite their community to their original place and also claim their first right over natural resources.

The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) Rajasthan president Dr. Velaram Ghogra told the Indian express, “Earlier, the Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur region in Rajasthan and Gujarat, MP, etc. was part of a single entity. But post-Independence, the tribal majority regions were divided by the political parties, so that the tribals don’t organise and unite.”

Various “laws, benefits, schemes, and committee reports” on tribals were brought by the central government, but they hardly benefitted the community.

He further said, “There were various measures such as the protection of tribal interests through the Fifth Schedule under Article 244(1) of the Constitution, but most of these were mere assurances by the ruling party, whether it was the Congress or the BJP.”

What is a Bhil Pradesh?

The Bhils are demanding a separate state or Pradesh for them under scheduled tribe privileges. In 1913, Govind Guru, a Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader first raised the demand for a separate state after the massacre of Mangarh. 

bhil community Facebook

On 17 November 1913, the massacre of Mangarh took place in the hills of Mangarh (border of Rajasthan and Gujarat). British forces brutally killed hundreds of Bhils. The event is also referred to as “Adivasi Jallianwala”.

Formed in 2017, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP), is a political party that envisions Bhil Pradesh as a separate state carved out of 39 districts out of 4 states. The districts include Gujarat (16), Rajasthan (10), Madhya Pradesh (7), and Maharashtra (6).

Some of the districts include Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh in southern Rajasthan, Ratlam, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, and Petlawad in Madhya Pradesh, Panchmahal Godhra, Dahod and Dang in Gujarat and Nashik, and Dhule in Maharashtra.

Laws under which demand has arisen?

The Bhils are demanding to carve out a separate state based on Article 244 (1).

bhil community Vishnu IAS

According to the constitution of India, “Article 244 (1) of the 5th Schedule shall apply to the administration and control of the Scheduled Area and Scheduled Tribes in any State other than the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.”

Article 244 (1) also defines Scheduled Areas as the areas defined so by the President of India.

Further, the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996 was also enacted to promote local self-governance in rural India. Further, it allows and ensures tribal self-rule for people living in scheduled areas of India.

Considered to be the backbone of tribal legislation in India, the PESA provides recognition to the traditional system of the decision-making process and stands for the peoples’ self-governance.

It provides several rights including compulsory consultation in case of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons, resolution of the local disputes, protection of traditional beliefs, the culture of the tribal communities etc.


For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.