On 19th December 1946, Mr. Jaipal Singh [Bihar General] at the Constituent Assembly spoke on 30 million Adibasis as follows;
Mr. Chairman, Sir, I rise to speak on behalf of millions of unknown hoards – yet very important – of unrecognized warriors of Freedom, the original people of India who have variously been known as Backward Tribe, primitive Tribe, Criminal Tribes and everything else. Sir, I am proud to be a Junglee that is the name by which we are known in my part of the Country living as we do in the Jungles we know what it mean to support this Resolution on behalf of more than of Adibasis [cheers!] I support it not merely because it may have been sponsored by a leader of the Indian National Congress— As a Junglee, as an Adibasis I am not expected to understand legal intricacies of the Resolution but my common sense tells me the common sense of my people tells me that everyone of us should march in that rode of freedom and fight together, Sir if there is any group of Indian people that have been shabbily treated it is my people they have been disgracefully treated neglected for last 6000 years – History of the Indus Valley Civilization a child of which I am chose by clearly that it is the new comer – most of you here are included as far I am concerned – it is the new comers who have driven away my people from Indus Valley to Jungles – this evolution is not going to teach Adibasis Democracy, you cannot teach Democracy to the Tribal People; You have to learn Democratic ways from them – they are the most Democratic People on earth what my People require Sir – is not adequate safeguard as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has put it – they require protection from Ministers that is the position today we do not ask for any special protection we want to be treated like every other Citizen.”
Comment: Pandit Nehru referred in his speech introducing the Resolution that the Constitution as far as the People of Country will go and I think that the Adibasis, Scheduled Castes and other depressed Classes who are still languishing in poverty and economic uncertainty will also be included in the larger concept of people of India, one wonders such comprehensive thought should materialize even seven decades after Republic.