NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday supported the tribal community's demand for a UN declaration recognising them as the indigenous people of India.
Addressing the first conference on the Constitutional rights of indigenous people of Central India in Indore, the former Union minister said tribals are "original residents as well as masters" of the country.
"Tribals are original natives of India. There is a need for the official recognition from the United Nations in this regard. We support the demand of the tribal community on this issue. We are duty-bound to make a bid for it (such declaration from the UN)," Pawar said.
Calling tribals as the "real masters", Pawar said they have the strength to lead the country to the right path.
On the occasion, Pawar also paid respect to the martyred tribal freedom fight Tantia Bhil on his 175th birth anniversary.
"Bhil's anniversary should be observed across the entire country along with MP and Maharashtra," he said.
Pawar said he would speak with President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and speaker and chairman of both the houses of Parliament for installing a statute of Bhil in the Sansad Bhawan.
Stating that problems of tribals from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are common, he called for a joint programme for their education, employment and farming welfare.
"Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath is positive to this suggestion," he said.
Nath also spoke on the occasion.
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