The Odisha government recently withdrew over 48,000 cases lodged for the violation of excise and forest laws against tribal people, a decision that followed a series of steps taken apparently to woo the community ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Earlier, the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government had announced a plan to buy minor forest produce on minimum support price (MSP) after an over two-decade delay, and approved the formation of a commission for the preservation and promotion of tribal languages.
In official circles, all three decisions have been hailed as a game changer for the ruling party, which faced massive criticism after it allowed tribals to transfer their land to non-tribals, a move that was seen as favouring big mining firms.
