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Development Needs Re-definition: AUTONOMY MUST FOR TRIBALS, By Shivaji Sarkar, 11 June, 2013 Print E-mail

Economic Highlights

New Delhi, 11 June 2013

Development Needs Re-definition

AUTONOMY MUST FOR TRIBALS

By Shivaji Sarkar

 

Three years ago then Union Home Minister Chidambaram set a two-three years deadline for solving/eliminating Naxalites. His answer: Heavy police action. Soon after, 76 CRPF men were killed by the Maoists in jungles bordering Orissa and Jharkhand. The killings continue today.

 

During 2010-12 over 2030 people were killed, up from 1600 in 2009, despite that the number of Central forces and expenses have more than doubled. Undoubtedly, police action is not a paying proposition.

 

The latest attack on Chhattisgarh’s Congress leaders speaks of the Naxals strength along-with their liaison with some leaders. Preliminary investigations reveal that intra-Party rivalry led to the Naxalites being used.

 

This is nothing new. Some years ago an Andhra Pradesh Party had an alliance with Naxal groups which paid dividends with the Party winning a massive majority. But Naxal activities expanded there and neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Orissa. In West Bengal too it supported Mamata’s Trinamool whereby it won most of Jhargram’s seats.

 

True, Naxalism might be linked to development but growth is not the Maoists agenda as they reap benefit because of under-development. Also, it has become a political issue leading to a crisis owing to the Government’s failure to address the local populace’s real issues of livelihood and deprivation.

 

Last month, Union Tribal Minister Kishore Chandra Deo underscored blatant violation of  the Constitution’s Article 244, Schedules 5 and 6: To protect the tribal’s rights and protect the rights of other ethnic groups in the North-East. These led to tribals being denied forest land rights including their dwelling units leading to severe discontent and alienation.

 

Importantly, the Schedules vests Governors with unbridled and unfettered independent legislative authority. Whereby, via a notification he can direct that an Act shall not apply to Scheduled or other areas in the State and repeal or amend any Parliament or Assembly Act or existing law in Scheduled areas, when good governance or peace is disturbed due to land or money-lending issues.


This apart, there are simpler solutions which are not being adhered to. Recently the Supreme Court upheld the primacy of Gram Sabha and amended forest rights rules which came into force from last September. Stating, the Fifth Schedule’s object is to preserve tribal autonomy, their cultures and economic empowerment to ensure social, economic and political justice for the preservation of peace and good governance in Scheduled areas.

 

Pertinently, the Centre-appointed the Bhuria Committee to recommend whether the Panchayat Raj system could be extended to Scheduled areas favoured democratic decentralization in 1995. Based on this report, the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, was enacted.

 

Yet, neither the Centre nor State Governments are adhering to basic tribals’ welfare. Forgetting that forests belong to them, not even to State Government’s which continue to deprive the poor tribals’. Worse, State corporations and societies registered under the Companies Act too are blatantly usurping tribal land overlooking that just being State entities does not give them unfettered rights.

 

Thus, various MoUs signed by Central and State Governments, be it Orissa, Andhra, Chhattisgarh or West Bengal to allow bauxite, iron ore or other minerals mining are unconstitutional. They also have no right to lease out land belonging to tribals to private corporates.

 

Alas, State bodies are circumventing Constitutional provisions through disinvestment, notwithstanding the Union Cabinet’s approval. These decisions are ultra vires.

 

Undoubtedly, mining activities are ecological disasters. Not only does the local populace suffer humiliation by being uprooted from their homes but also deprives them of sustainable livelihood, compromises other rights and turns them into refugees and destitutes. Certainly, it is not development when tribals are deprived of their livelihood and denied jobs to increase profits of some entities.

 

Tragically, Naxalism growth since the mid-1960s is commensurate with the blatant corporatisation of tribal land. Wherein, in some pockets these corporates use the Red Brigade when it suits them to further their causes.

 

Undeniably, the definition of development by a State per se needs to be rejected as the unrest in most tribal areas is linked to their uprooting. If they are being forcefully evicted from their homeland and forest to which they are tremendous emotionally attached as it sustains their livelihood, a violent backlash is expected.

 

True, through its Bharat Nirman campaign the Government is busy proclaiming that tremendous development is taking place. The reality is the opposite. Already, two Central initiatives to push development in Maoist-affected areas are in trouble.

 

The Government has slashed funds for the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and road connectivity project in Naxal-affected districts to provide basic infrastructure facilities to poor tribals and villagers. The Road Transport Ministry has earmarked only Rs 5400 crore for roads in Red terror districts against the required Rs 16,000 crore.

 

In addition, the Centre has earmarked just Rs. 1,000 crore for targeted development in Naxal districts, less than half of the Rs. 2,400 crore that is released annually to 82 districts under the IAP. There is no “nirman” or at best truncated activities in these areas.

 

More than development tribals need jobs. There are hardly any. Sadly, sitting in the comfortable offices in Delhi, none realise the problems of people living in remote inaccessible areas. Centralised planning and procedures of allocation has become an instance of non-governance.

 

Notably, the Planning Commission needs to be decentralised. There should be separate Planning Commissions for these remote areas sans elite bureaucrats. Discussions should take place with States’ people about what they need in different regions.

 

Significantly, the Maoists have utilised the system better. They have local level committees to induct villagers and create a sense of hostility against the nation. Add to this, bureaucratic response has been timid and hackneyed.

 

Clearly, the nation needs to solve Maoism. Towards that end it must take governance to remote areas wherein development has to be needs based. It also has to ensure that the local people culture and tribal autonomy is preserved. Remember, large corporate investments only create islands of discontent.

 

True, development is not the panacea. Punjab was the most developed State when terrorism started there during the eighties. Therefore, the quality and type of development would decide the well-being of the people and growth of the nation.

 

In sum, the Naxal problem needs intricate ‘out-of-the-box’ solution. Neither police action can solve it nor an overdose of corporate investment. The Government along-with the locals needs to come up with a novel, humane approach to integrate the Adivasis.  ----- INFA

 

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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