New Delhi: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday (March 23) alleged that when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) use of the term ‘vanvasi’ (forest dwellers) for tribal communities, it dilutes their historical rights over land and natural resources, reported The Hindu.While speaking at an ‘Adivasi Adhikar Samvidhan Sammelan’ in Vadodara, Gandhi said while ‘Adivasi’ refers to original inhabitants, ‘vanvasi’ suggests that tribals are merely forest dwellers.“The term ‘vanvasi’ implies you are not the original owners of this land, whereas ‘Adivasi’ recognises your rights over water, forests and land. If you had come here thousands of years ago, every inch of land would have been with Adivasis,” said Gandhi.“When tribals are called ‘vanvasi’ and their resources are handed over, it is an attack on the Constitution,” he added.Gandhi targeted the BJP-led Union government and prime minister Narendra Modi by saying that the government was not safeguarding tribal rights.“When development is discussed, Adivasi land is taken away, often without compensation, as you are considered to have no rights. Whenever the subject of development comes up, land belonging to Adivasis is snatched, often without paying compensation as ‘you are deemed to possess no rights, no entitlements whatsoever,” said Gandhi, reported The Hindu.Gandhi also criticised the opening up of the agricultural sector and said that products from US could adversely impact Indian farmers.“No Prime Minister has opened up agriculture before. If products from large, mechanised farms in the US enter our markets, it will affect Indian farmers. There is a reason for this. Our farms are small, ranging from five to 10 acres. In the US, farms span 1,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 acres. Here, people work manually, and mechanisation is limited; over there, everything is fully mechanised. If their produce floods our markets, it will completely ruin our farmers,” said Gandhi.“If we purchase goods worth Rs 9 lakh crore from U.S. companies, what will become of our own companies? What will happen to our SMEs (small and medium enterprises)? They have reduced taxes for US products to zero, while simultaneously increasing taxes on our domestic products,” he added.Gandhi added that the prime minister is “compromised” and once again reiterated that it was necessary to determine the share of various communities in national resources and institutions.“A caste census will show the actual population of Adivasis and their share in power and wealth,” said Gandhi.Gandhi demanded greater representation of tribals in institutions, including the bureaucracy, police, and the judiciary. He said that Adivasis account for 9% of the population, while Scheduled Castes (SC) constitute 15%, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) account for around 50% of the population, he said.“Do you believe Adivasis have even a 10% share in the country? Until your people are part of the bureaucracy, police and judiciary, your interests will not be protected,” said Gandhi, alleging that the RSS was influencing these institutions.