Latest news with #Chaubey
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kamal Nayan Chaubey's Adivasi or Vanvasi unpacks the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram's influence on tribal politics
Kamal Nayan Chaubey, in his new book Adivasi or Vanvasi, explores how the tribal politics of the country has changed since the inception of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA). Through his ethnographic work, he unpacks the complex questions of identity and emphasises the importance of reading the ground as it is, without being swayed away by theoretical presumptions. In this conversation, Chaubey explains this transition and unravels the limits of VKA's politics. Edited excerpts: What are the major differences between Adivasi and Vanvasi? Are these differences a result of different political assertions? Adivasi means original inhabitant of the land, whereas Vanvasi means inhabitant of the forests. Many anthropologists have underlined that not all communities claiming to be Adivasis are the original inhabitants. In some areas, non-tribals have been the original settlers, with tribals joining them later. However, eventually, many tribal communities started to use the term Adivasi to assert their unique identity and claim rights over forest land and its resources. On the other hand, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the VKA emphatically rejected the idea. For them, they are Hindus living in the forest areas, and hence, Vanvasis. They claim that all Sanatanis are original inhabitants of the country. Why do you think that there has been a consistent silence over the activities of the VKA in literature? There has been ideological bias against the VKA. When a few scholars focused on it, they presented it as a static organisation working for the idea of Hindu majoritarianism. Such a fixed understanding compelled researchers to overlook the changing nature of VKA's works. Even scholars sympathetic to the RSS overlooked the VKA as they considered it nothing more than an RSS wing. You write that lately VKA has taken a Left turn. What do you mean? In its early days — the VKA was formed in 1952 — the organisation focused on two things: countering Christian influence among tribals and spreading Hindu values. However, from 1970 onwards, many Left-oriented organisations started raising the issue of forest and land rights. They opposed displacement and emphasised their rights to live an autonomous life. It was in the 1990s that the VKA even felt the need to echo the Left. In 2015, it released a 'vision document' and supported all major demands raised by Left-oriented tribal organisations. It indicates the willingness of the VKA to adopt progressive ideas coming from opposing ideological camps. What is the VKA's view on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)? The UCC has been one of the core agenda of the RSS and the BJP. However, in recent years, the VKA leadership has asserted that tribal communities should be excluded from the UCC. It emphasised the cultural and customary diversities among various tribal communities. Its criticisms played a crucial role in the BJP government's decision to exclude tribals in the UCC in Uttarakhand. Many leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have made it clear that tribals will be exempted from the UCC even in other parts of the country. It underlines the pragmatic nature of the VKA. Though it talks about the Hindu identity of tribals, it opposes any form of cultural encroachment. Why does VKA need to create 'aggressive organs' for implementing agendas like ghar wapsi or delisting? The VKA prefers to focus on service work to keep its image intact. They never raise contentious issues like reconversion. To work on these issues, there are some 'aggressive organs'. They are not formally connected to the VKA. But their leadership carries its lineage. For example, the Janjati Surksha Manch was formed in 2006 to raise the issue of 'delisting' of those tribals from the ST list who converted to Christianity or Islam. Despite not being a direct wing of the VKA, it shared the same leadership. Many such organisations work on the ghar wapsi campaign. You are using the Gramscian idea of hegemony to unpack VKA's politics. Why? (Antonio) Gramsci divided intellectuals into two parts: Traditional and organic. The former, whereas, always tries to protect the existing system, the latter questions the prevalent hegemony and seeks changes in favour of the marginalised communities. As organic intellectuals, the VKA sometimes takes a stand for the tribals, but as traditional intellectuals, they never question the hegemonic neoliberal state and its developmental model. Did the VKA strengthen the BJP's presence in the tribal regions? The VKA, through its service works, has increased the BJP's presence in many tribal areas where its presence was earlier negligible. The Northeastern states are an important example. The BJP's vote share has increased across the tribal belts in the country. However, political contestation with other organisations also shapes its political future, as witnessed in Jharkhand, where the party lost all the tribal seats in the latest Assembly elections.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Chaubey meets Udhayanidhi to discuss roadmap for women's football development in TN
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey met Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday to discuss the roadmap for women's football development in the State. 'I have spoken with the Dy. CM, who is also the Sports Minister, and we discussed on to take over three districts — Erode and Dindigul are two of them. These districts have over 100 women players aged between 13 and 16. In Chennai alone, there are 20 (women) players above 19 years of age,' Chaubey told The Hindu. Tamil Nadu won the Senior Women's National Championship in 2023 and bagged silver at the Khelo India Youth Games this month. 'The AIFF wishes to provide technical support to Tamil Nadu women footballers, and also identify nearly 20 former footballers who have played for a significant number of years and give them coaching education, preferably through an elected member association, and in collaboration with the sports department of the Government of Tamil Nadu,' Chaubey said. Chaubey was here with AIFF vice-president N.A. Haris. He hoped the elections of the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TNFA) — scheduled on Saturday – would finish quickly. The TNFA has not had an election since 2018, with its last Annual General Meeting in Salem in 2014, jeopardising men's and women's leagues here. 'The AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India, conducted 87 leagues in 2023-24 and 63 leagues in 2024-25 under the name 'Asmita' across three age groups, U-15, U-17, U-30,' Chaubey said. 'However, none of these leagues took place in Tamil Nadu,' he added.
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First Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey claims ‘elitist mindset' and ‘jealousy' reason behind criticism directed at him
Former India goalkeeper Chaubey, who is also part of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has served as AIFF president since 2022, added that any criticism directed towards him was ultimately harmful for Indian football. read more Kalyan Chaubey entered politics after retiring from football, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015, seven years before being appointed AIFF president. PTI Kalyan Chaubey's tenure as All India Football Federation (AIFF) president has been far from smooth ever since the former India goalkeeper took over the role in 2022, finding himself mired in multiple controversies and facing corruption allegations. Chaubey's administrative abilities particularly came under the scanner after as Blue Tigers coach last year following a prolonged lean patch, with the Croatian going on to sensationally claim that . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'People are jealous that a person from the grassroots has come this far' Chaubey, who also happens to be part of the Bharatiya Janata Party, hit back at the criticism that he has faced so far as AIFF chief, particularly after firing Stimac, claiming 'elitist mindset' and 'jealousy' as well as the fact that he comes from a humble background are why people have been pointing fingers at him. 'Most of the allegations against me have been proved wrong. We still have an elitist mindset. People are jealous that a person from the grassroots has come this far. If the AIFF president was a high-profile minister or a top industrialist I do not think people would have dared to badmouth him,' Chaubey, who played for two of India's top clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, told The Telegraph. More from Football Chaubey went on to claim that any criticism directed at him was also a criticism of Indian football. 'They do not realise that by painting a negative picture about me, they are harming Indian football in the process. Spreading lies just for the sake of it does not enhance the brand of Indian football,' the 48-year-old added. The Indian football team has witnessed a sharp decline since registering a series of strong performances in 2023, with the and currently finding themselves at the 127th spot. India's lack of depth in terms of talent has also come under the focus with legendary forward Sunil Chhetri having to come out of retirement for the recent AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Bangladesh in Shillong, which , in which the visiting team could have registered a victory with a bit of luck. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We did not prepare well for the Bangladesh match. Maybe complacency was one of the reasons for an unimpressive show in Shillong. But against Hong Kong we will put up a good show,' Chaubey told the Kolkata-based newspaper, looking forward to India's next Asian Cup qualifying game, against Hong Kong on 10 June.
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Ranchi has become capital of corruption": BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on arrest of senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey
Deoghar (Jharkhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey in his remarks over the arrest of the senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey in connection with the liquor scam case stated that Ranchi had become the capital of corruption and no longer seemed to be the capital of Jharkhand. The BJP MP also slammed Congress over the arrest of senior IAS Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey and stated that wherever the party was, corruption would exist. 'It is the misfortune of Jharkhand... Ranchi does not seem to be the capital of Jharkhand anymore, but it is the capital of corruption... The people also now understand that this government is drenched in corruption. Wherever there is Congress, there will be corruption...' Dubey told ANI. Jharkhand's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested IAS officer Vinay Choubey among two arrested, in the Jharkhand liquor scam case. A Joint Commissioner of the Excise Department has also been arrested in connection with the case, they added. Chaubey, who was the then Secretary of the Jharkhand Excise Department, had earlier been named in the case by the Chhattisgarh ACB in September 2024. Based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Chhattisgarh ACB, the Jharkhand ACB had initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE) to probe the matter. Currently, Chaubey is serving as the Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department and had previously held the post of Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Along with IAS officer Vinay Chaubey, the ACB also arrested Gajendra Singh, Joint Commissioner of the Excise Department. Both have been sent to judicial custody till June 3 (15 days). After their arrest, Advocate Devesh Ajmani said, 'This morning, while Vijay Choubey was in his residential chamber, he was taken in for an investigation; thereafter, he was produced before the court and subsequently taken into custody. By filing an objection petition to this, we apprised the court that as per the settled principles of law by the Supreme Court, we were not given the grounds of arrest, we were never told as to what we were being charged for.' 'The court has taken note of all these things. We have also made sure that his health records are submitted before the court... There are two accused, one is Vinay Choubey, the other is Gajender Kumar Singh. They have been sent to 15 days' custody,' he added. Earlier, in October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted raids at the premises of Chaubey and others in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Jharkhand's Ranchi. In August 2024, the ED in Raipur had arrested two individuals under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of its ongoing investigation into the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The ED launched its investigation based on an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh, under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency's probe revealed that corruption in the liquor scam, which occurred between 2019 and 2022, was carried out through multiple methods. (ANI)
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Hans India
ACB interrogates IAS officer Vinay Chaubey in Jharkhand liquor scam
Ranchi: The Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was on Tuesday interrogating senior IAS officer and former Excise Secretary, Vinay Kumar Chaubey, in connection with the alleged liquor scam in the state. The move comes after the agency registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) into suspected irregularities in the excise policy implemented during Chaubey's tenure. Earlier in the day, an ACB team arrived at Chaubey's residence in Ranchi and escorted him to the agency's office for interrogation. Sources said that the questioning pertains to Jharkhand's excise policy, which was reportedly modelled on the controversial Chhattisgarh liquor policy, which is under the scanner for large-scale corruption. The Jharkhand scam is believed to be an offshoot of the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, where multiple senior officials of the State Marketing Corporation and influential businessmen were allegedly involved in a well-orchestrated syndicate to siphon off public money. The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW), along with the ACB in Chhattisgarh, on Tuesday, raided several locations focusing on individuals associated with the scam. Earlier in Chhattisgarh, the ED, also investigating the scam, reportedly discovered that the same liquor syndicate had expanded its operations to Jharkhand by influencing the formulation and implementation of the state's excise policy. Based on this finding, the Chhattisgarh unit of the ED had earlier interrogated Chaubey, given his role as the then Excise Secretary when the new policy was rolled out. Chaubey is said to have denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the policy had the approval of the state government. Later, a complaint was filed with the Chhattisgarh EOW by a Jharkhand-based individual, alleging that the same liquor syndicate orchestrated a similar scam in Jharkhand in collusion with bureaucrats. Acting on the complaint, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and, in October 2024, conducted searches at multiple locations linked to Chaubey and others. Following this, the ACB in Jharkhand sought and obtained permission from the state government to begin its probe.
