NO to the ‘Development’ that enriches a few
and impoverishes most. . . YES to ‘Justice’ that preserves natural resources
and shares
them equitably
Stan Swamy
When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
(~ Indigenous People’s Prophecy ~)
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
(~ Indigenous People’s Prophecy ~)
Every body is speaking of growth and development
these days. The Lok Sabha election was won by the ruling party on ‘sab ka vikas’ slogan. The more recent State election in Jharkhand was
again fought on ‘development of Adivasis’ preaching. The electronic and print
media have become the messengers of this ‘development’ magic. The proof of this
is the rising Sensex & Nifty, several MoUs being signed by the Indian govt
and national & international corporate houses, the promise of unbelievable
amount of investments that are going to pour into the country. That the growth
rate will be up to 6-7% shortly etc.
But the contrary
is the reality of the poorest of the poor. As the country is supposedly
developing by leaps & bounds, poverty of the Adivasi, Dalit people is
deepening by the day. Their land which is the only source of their sustenance
is being forcibly snatched from them for a pittance. The rich minerals in their
land is very much wanted but the Adivasi people are not wanted any more. In
fact one can say that all the show-pieces of development such as mines,
factories, dams, highways are built with the blood of the Adivasi people.
A study done by the Centre
for Environment and Food Security (CEFS) on "Hunger in Adivasi Areas of
Rajasthan and Jharkhand" in 2005 [http://www.cefs-india.org/pressrelease.html]. Following
disturbing facts come to light in Jharkhand State:
-
Adivasi
population has dropped from around 60% in 1911 to 27.67% in 1991
-
Mostly dependent
on agriculture: 76.8 per cent are agriculturists, 17.6 per cent daily wagers, 1.8 per
cent MFP gatherers, 0.4 per cent handicapped & aged and 3.4 per cent
belonged to other occupations. Housing: Only 0.4 per cent had pucca house, 3.2 per cent
semipucca,89.8 per cent had mud-houses and 6.6 per cent were living under
thatched roofs
-
Literacy: 61.2 per cent were
illiterate, 3.8 per cent barely-literate, 8.6 per cent had received primary
schooling, 13.2 per cent had middle schooling, 10.2 per cent had received
education up to high school and 3 per cent of Jharkhand respondents had
received college education.
-
Migration: 26.2 per cent
of surveyed households said that at least one member from each family had
migrated to some town or city in search of livelihood.
-
Chronic hunger: A staggering and
shocking over 99 per cent were facing chronic hunger .Out of the total 1000
households asked as to whether they had eaten two square meals on the previous day of the survey, only four
respondents (0.4 per cent) said that
they had eaten two square meals on the previous day.
-
Displacement: After
Independence, over 10 million Adivasis have been displaced in the country to
make way for development projects such as dams, mining, industries, roads,
protected areas etc. Though most of the dams
are located in Adivasi areas, only 19.9 per cent (1980-81) of Adivasi
land holdings are irrigated as compared to 45.9 per cent of all holdings of the
general population
-
Adivasis and
Forests:
Adivasi people in India have been an integral part of the forests. But
there is little being discussed at the international level about protecting the
indigenous peoples of the forests. Coupled with this is the systematic approach
of the state in India which presumes that control over forests and wildlife can
be best attained by getting the adivasis out of the forests. The state
supported vested interests feel that adivasis are an impediment to the free
operations of the forest and mining mafia…
-
Loss of
traditional livelihood systems: The core of this problem lies in the
structural changes in Adivasi economy in the last five decades that have
depleted and destroyed the traditional livelihoods and food system of these
communities.
-
Disastrous impact
of industrialization: Immediately after independence the Nehruvian
development paradigm embarked on
building “temples of modern India”. The social and ecological costs of
this development were largely borne by country’s Adivasi communities in terms
of physical displacement, destruction of
sustenance base and gradual alienation from natural resources. It is these
starving, hungry and poor Adivasis who were made to pay the “price of
progress”.
-
Poverty and
Unemployment
According to government estimates, around 23.22 lakh families in the
rural areas of Jharkhand live below the poverty line, out of which 3.91 lakhs
belong to SCs and 8.79 lakhs to STs. It is estimated that almost 61.57per cent
of the families living in the rural areas are
below poverty line.
-
Poor Status of
Health and Nutrition
The nutritional status of people in general and women and children in
particular is very low in Jharkhand. According to National Family Health Survey
(NFHS-II), during 1998-99, amongst the under-3 age group children, 54.3per cent
were under-weight, 49 per cent were stunted and 25per cent were wasted.
-
Infant &
Child Mortality
The incidence of anemia in adolescent girls was 72.5per cent, amongst pregnant
women was 63.9per cent and among the lactating women it was almost 76 per cent.
-
Alienation of
Adivasi land
Jharkhand’s agriculture is almost completely dependent on the monsoon;
only 8 per cent of cultivable land is irrigated. Agricultural and forest lands
are the sole sources of sustenance for the Adivasis.
-
Forced to migrate: Apart from the
forced involuntary displacements caused by large projects, several lakhs of
Jharkhandis have migrated to the tea plantations in Darjeeling and Assam. Several
thousands, especially young women, are migrating to large cities and towns. A
recent report says that about two lakh Adivasi young women from Jharkhand, Orissa
and West Bengal are presently working as house-maids in middle-class homes. Employment
opportunities in Jharkhand are nil. During the last five decades, it is
estimated that as many as 40 to 45 lakh non-Tribals from neighbouring states
have in-migrated into Jharkhand and have taken over the whole economy and
greater part of job opportunities.
Undo the injustice done to indigenous people: acknowledge and
implement their constitutional, legal and judicial rights and safeguards.
Foremost among them are (1) the Vth Schedule of the Constitution, (2) the
CNT/SPT Acts, (3) SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989,
(4) PESA Act 1996, (5) Forests Rights Act 2006, (6) Samata judgment 1997 of
the Supreme Court, (7) ‘Owner of the land is also the owner of the sub-soil
minerals 2013’ judgment of SC.
Our ultimate aim has
to be to work towards a cosmic harmony to which justice and peace are closely
interrelated. If you want to cultivate peace, protect cosmos.
February 2015
