Tribal people deprived of amenities: Suma Vasant

Madikeri (Karnataka): Former Minister and All-India Congress Committee (AICC) member, Suma Vasant, on Wednesday urged the Deputy Commissioner to provide proper houses to the tribal people, particularly those affected by gastroenteritis in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district.

Ms. Vasant, who recently visited the affected “hadis” (colonies) at Karehadlu, Reshmehadlu and Devamachi, among others, asked the district administration to ensure clean drinking water, roads, toilet facilities and solar lamps to the tribal people. Former vice-president of the zilla panchayat Iqbal Hasan and former zilla panchayat member P.K. Ponnappa were present.

She said that compensation of Rs. 1,000 given to the families of those who died of gastroenteritis was not enough.

Six tribal people have died since June 13, and barring one, all the others were said to have died of gastroenteritis.

She held the zilla panchayat and the taluk panchayat responsible for not providing basic facilities to the people.

The Adivasis had been deprived of facilities like post-natal care, and medicine, Ms. Vasant said. The tribal people who were suffering in “hadis” around Thithimathi must be shifted close to Thithimathi town, where medical facilities were available, Ms. Vasant added.

Many of them had “hakku patras” of the sites where they lived. But, the gram panchayat and the Virajpet taluk panchayat were not providing basic amenities, Ms. Vasant alleged.

The district administration should also inspect the “hadis” and take precautionary measures in view of the monsoon, she added.

Adivasis and the Freedom Movement

As soon as the British took over Eastern India, tribal revolts broke out to challenge the alien rule. In the early years of colonization, no other community in India offered such heroic resistance to British rule or faced such tragic consequences as did the numerous Adivasi communities of now Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Orissa and Bengal. In 1772, the Paharia revolt broke out which was followed by a five year uprising led by Tilka Manjhi who was hanged in Bhagalpur in 1785. The Tamar and Munda revolts followed. In the next two decades, revolts took place in Singhbhum, Gumla, Birbhum, Bankura, Manbhoom and Palamau, followed by the great Kol Risings of 1832 and the Khewar and Bhumij revolts (1832-34). In 1855, the Santhals waged war against the permanent settlement of Lord Cornwallis, and a year later, numerous adivasi leaders played key roles in the 1857 war of independence.

But the defeat of 1858 only intensified British exploitation of national wealth and resources. A forest regulation passed in 1865 empowered the British government to declare any land covered with trees or brushwood as government forest and to make rules to manage it under terms of it’s own choosing. The act made no provision regarding the rights of the Adivasi users. A more comprehensive Indian Forest Act was passed in 1878, which imposed severe restrictions upon Adivasi rights over forest land and produce in the protected and reserved forests. The act radically changed the nature of the traditional common property of the Adivasi communities and made it state property.

As punishment for Adivasi resistance to British rule, “The Criminal Tribes Act” was passed by the British Government in 1871 arbitrarily stigmatizing groups such as the Adivasis (who were perceived as most hostile to British interests) as congenital criminals.

Adivasi uprisings in the Jharkhand belt were quelled by the British through massive deployment of troops across the region. The Kherwar uprising and the Birsa Munda movement were the most important of the late-18th century struggles against British rule and their local agents. The long struggle led by Birsa Munda was directed at British policies that allowed the zamindars (landowners) and money-lenders to harshly exploit the Adivasis. In 1914 Jatra Oraon started what is called the Tana Movement (which drew the participation of over 25,500 Adivasis). The Tana movement joined the nation-wide Satyagrah Movement in 1920 and stopped the payment of land-taxes to the colonial Government.

During British rule, several revolts also took place in Orissa which naturally drew participation from the Adivasis. The significant ones included the Paik Rebellion of 1817, the Ghumsar uprisings of 1836-1856, and the Sambhalpur revolt of 1857-1864.

In the hill tribal tracts of Andhra Pradesh a revolt broke out in August 1922. Led by Alluri Ramachandra Raju (better known as Sitarama Raju), the Adivasis of the Andhra hills succeeded in drawing the British into a full-scale guerrilla war. Unable to cope, the British brought in the Malabar Special Force to crush it and only prevailed when Alluri Raju died.

As the freedom movement widened, it drew Adivasis into all aspects of the struggle. Many landless and deeply oppressed Adivasis joined in with upper-caste freedom fighters expecting that the defeat of the British would usher in a new democratic era.

Unfortunately, even fifty years after independence, Dalits and Adivasis have benefited least from the advent of freedom. Although independence has brought widespread gains for the vast majority of the Indian population, Dalits and Adivasis have often been left out, and new problems have arisen for the nation’s Adivasi populations. With the tripling of the population since 1947, pressures on land resources, especially demands on forested tracks, mines and water resources have played havoc on the lives of the Adivasis. A disproportionate number of Adivasis have been displaced from their traditional lands while many have seen access to traditional resources undercut by forest mafias and corrupt officials who have signed irregular commercial leases that conflict with rights granted to the Adivasis by the Indian constitution.

It remains to be seen if the the grant of statehood for Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh ameliorates the conditions for India’s Adivasis. However, it is imperative that all Adivasi districts receive special attention from the Central government in terms of investment in schools, research institutes, participatory forest management and preservation schemes, non-polluting industries, and opportunities for the Adivasi communities to document and preserve their rich heritage. Adivasis must have special access to educational, cultural and economic opportunities so as to reverse the effects of colonization and earlier injustices experienced by the Adivasi communities.

At the same time, the country can learn much from the beauty of Adivasi social practices, their culture of sharing and respect for all - their deep humility and love of nature - and most of all - their deep devotion to social equality and civic harmony.

Chhattisgarh tribals sneak into AP

Hyderabad: Nearly 1.2 lakh Gutti Koya tribals of Bastar and Bijpur districts of Chhattisgarh have crossed over in to Andhra’s border district of Khammam over the past six months to escape Salwa Judum camps and the Maoist violence.

But a confidential report of the intelligence bureau has cautioned the Andhra Pradesh government of growing unrest among the local tribals in the border districts and prospective violence unleashed by the Maoists as the Gutti Koyas are known supporters of the CPI (Maoists).

They might also be the advance party of the Maoists’ re-entry into AP, the report says.
The tribal Koyas are migrating to Andhra Pradesh’s border villages instead of the camps set up by the Salwa Judum, the government sponsored anti-Maoist movement.

“Not wanting to face the wrath of the Maoists, the tribals are running away from Chhattisgarh into the border villages of our state,” said DS Chauhan, the district police superintendent of Khammam.

To wean them away from being exploited by the Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, the state government had initiated various schemes, even for the Koya tribals.

“More than 1,500 families have been given ration cards, and provided with benefits of vaccinations, medicare, schools, civil supplies etc.,” said the district collector Shashibhushan Kumar.

Health funds unspent in tribal Orissa

The living conditions of the tribals in Koraput district are pathetic. There are no proper medical health centres. Though fund have been alloted to build a health centre, work is still in stand still, due to lack of commitment by officials.

Lack of commitment of medical officials who are working in the district, lack of communication facilities, shortage of staff, non-development of existing Primary Health Centres forced the poor tribals to die for not getting medical treatment on time. A visit to remote tribal villages under Dasamanthpur, Semiliguda, Pottangi, Bandhugaon and Laxmipur blocks in Koraput district has exposed the miserable condition of the tribals living in the villages. Cent percent of the Primary Health Centres are functioning without a proper MBBS doctors’ presence and some centres are functioning only with mere pharmacies. Unnatural deaths of tribals occur mostly among children who are below five years. Some of the doctors after completion of their MBBS, posted in government service serve for a period of three years which is mandatory in the district and leave immediately after obtaining the service certificate from the authorities for higher education or better paying hospital in corporate places.

Unnatural deaths of tribals occur mostly among children who are below five years of age. According to the official source of information for every 1000 live births 251 die within five years. Unofficial figure, the infant mortality is 300 for every 1000 live births in Koraput district alone. While 60 per cent of the villages in Koraput district do not have drinking water facilities. The government health inspector says that it took years to create awareness among the tribals. Over the last two decades 15 lakh tribals in undivided Koraput district alone died. District chief medical officer had to return Rs12 cr without being spent meant for health service in divided Koraput district.

The Rs 12 cr have been received from National Rural Health Mission, Koraput district. This district had also received a grant of Rs 5.5 crores in 2005-2006 financial year for the new born and Rs 4.7 lakhs for supporting tribal health in the district. Due to lack of commitment by the scheme implementing agencies, the money meant for construction of new health sub-centres and repair of existing Public Health Centres were partly spent and the rest of the money is kept locked in the bank.

The tribal art of Bastar

Bastar is a tribal district where about 70% of the total population are tribals and which constitutes 26.76% of the total tribal population of Chhattisgarh state . Each tribal group has their own culture and each of them are following their own traditional living ways. These tribal groups are having different spoken languages and they differ from each other in their costume, eating habits, customs, art,living ways etc. Some of the tribals are still living in interior forests and they do not like to come to the outer world and mingle with the modern civilisation and are unaware of what is happening in the world.

The Main tribal groups that are seen in Bastar distict are:- Gonds, Abhuj Maria, BisonHorn Maria, Muria, Halbaa, Bhatra, Dhurvaa etc.

Handicrafts
The tribal society of Bastar is famous for their excellency in making exotic hadicrafts with a variety of designs and shapes. These handicrafts include wood-carvings, bell-metal items, terracota items,bamboo items etc. Bastar , being a district full of forest, containing finest quality of teak and other types of woods from which very attractive wooden- carving crafts and various types of furniture are being made by the skilled and experienced hands of the tribals.Many such items are today made and kept for sale in shops at Jagdalpur which attracts locals as well as tourists.

Wood Crafts
This is one of the most famous ,beautiful and unique art of wooden carving of Bastar tribals. These wooden crafts are made out of the finest teak wood and white wood.These wooden crafts includes models , Idols , wall panels , furniture items etc. Among the furniture items Deewan( Cot with box) is very famous and attractive since it involves the art of carving with different pictures of Bastar culture and other designs of interest.These handicrafts are generally exported to different places of the country , and it has demand even from foreign countries also.

Terracota
The tribals of Bastar are excellent in making handi crafts of Terracota items which is made of the finest bed clay of river Indravati.This terrakota items includes elephents,tigers, deer, horses, table lamps etc. These handicrafts are of different sizes .

Bamboo Crafts
Bastar triblas specilizes in Bamboo Crafts which includes the products like wall hangings, table lamps, table mats etc.

Bell Metals
The Bastar tribals are famous in making bell metal arts which are crafted by hand through the vanishing vax technique.These handicrafts include items like elephent, deer, horses etc of different sizes

Cotton Fabrics
Cotton Fabrics are one of the famous and attractive handicrafts made by the tribals of Bastar. These are made of Kosa thread which is made from a kind of worm found in the forest, handwoven and handprinted by tribes who trace their lineage to the 14 th centuary weaver-saint-poet Kabir. The handprinting is generally done with the natural vegetable dye extracted from aal, found in the forest of Bastar. These fabrics includes cotton saris, well-known as Bastar Kosa Sadi, dress materials and drapes.

Adivasis – Past and Present

The Adivasis are the descendants of those first inhabitants of India, who resisted the law and order system installed by the respective conquerors. Over quite a long period in history the Adivasis have been left untouched on principal. In many regions of the Indian subcontinent the Adivasis used to live as fishermen, as nomadic shepherds, as shifting agriculturalists and as hunters and gatherers. Between 2500 and 1500 BC cattle-breeding pastoralists from Western Central Asia – they called themselves “arya” i.e. the noble ones – conquered the then densely forested land. In order to confirm their dominance this “elite” created the caste system, which brandmarked the orginal population as “wild” and “uncivilized”. A certain part of the aboriginal people was subjugated and subsequently integrated into the system of dominance at the lowest rung as “outcastes” or “untouchables” (today they are known as “harijans”, “scheduled castes” or “dalits”). Thus racist discrimination started more than three thousand years ago. This was also the beginning of continuous eviction and withdrawal of the Adivasis.

Many communities fled in inaccessible hill areas, where they could preserve their traditional way of life partly to this day. The Adivasis have never been part of the economic system – except that they were exploited as cheap labour. Their economic activities in agriculture, animal husbandry and craft have always been exclusively for their subsistence – not for making profit. The Constitution of India provides quota for the scheduled tribes in education, public service and also in the parliaments. Moreover there are quite a few tribal development programmes. These promotion activities do not address the specific needs of the Adivasis. In addition they aid and abet the formation of an Adivasi elite, which is aloof from the situation of the majority. The government-sponsored industrialization increasingly destroys the last withdrawal areas of the aboriginal inhabitants. The delogging of vast forests, the construction of huge embankment dams, mining projects and test ranges for the army have already devastated large parts of Adivasi areas. They have uprooted millions of them and made them beggars in their own land.

Adivasi organisations call bandh against Sonia's visit

Kokrajhar, June 13: Normal life was affected in tribal-dominated areas of lower Assam due to a 36-hour bandh called by Adivasi organisations in protest against the visit of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the state.

Markets, shops, offices, educational institutions and banks remained closed. Private vehicles and long-distance buses remained off the roads though train services operated normally.

The bandh, however, had no impact in Guwahati where Gandhi arrived to attend a series of day-long meetings and functions.

The tribal groups are also demanding the arrest of those involved in the murder of Adivasi youth leader Joseph Topno. Sacked Assam Education Minister Ripun Bora, who was arrested by CBI, is one of the prime accused in the case.

From peon to lecturer, a Tribal's success story

Coming from an impoverished tribal background, he worked as a peon in a Jharkhand university. But now Sushil Tudu has beaten all odds to qualify as a lecturer in the same varsity.

Tudu, in his 30s, is to be a lecturer in the Santhali language in Siddhu and Kanhu University in Dumka, around 400 km from here.

"My selection has fulfilled my long cherished dream. I passed through some tough times in life," Tudu said.

He qualified for the post by sitting in the competitive Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination. Three tribal lecturers have been appointed in the Santhali language and Tudu is one of them.

Tudu, who hails from the Simildohi village of Pakur district in Jharkhand, had been appointed a peon in Siddu and Kannhu University on compassionate grounds in 2004 after his elder brother died. Tudu lost his father at the young age of eight. He cleared his secondary examination in 1991 and despite financial difficulties continued his studies.

He did his post-graduation in Santhali from Ranchi University and cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the UGC in 2002. NET is a must for one to become a lecturer. But he was unable to get a job until the peon's job came his way. The highly qualified Tudu said: "It was indeed a difficult decision to work as a peon."

He never gave up and finally Tudu qualified for the lecturer's post. Victor Tigga, the vice chancellor of Siddhu and Kanhu University, said: "It is a matter of great happiness that a tribal person has qualified for the lecturer's post. I came to know that he was working as a peon in my university only after media reports on the matter. We will felicitate him later."

Tudu, however, does not want to attract too much attention right now.

India to popularise 'folk medicine' of tribals

India will document, validate and popularise folk medicine practices of tribals across the country and even start institutes for their study to save these traditions from extinction.

"Folk medicine is different from ayurveda, homeopathy or unani. These are local medicinal procedures practised by tribals across India. We are trying to document, digitise and scientifically validate them," said Verghese Samuel, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

"Due to modern systems of medicine, this health heritage is losing its popularity. We are trying to save these good practices through the initiative," Samuel added.

Sanjeev K. Chadha, director, department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy) in the ministry, said: "Because of folk medicine practices, tribals in India have a very good immune system. If they are getting benefits out of these practices then there must be something good about these practices.

"These age-old traditions should not be lost in the wilderness. We will do research on these practices and record them. All the good practices would also be considered from patenting."

There are over 130 tribal groups in India, many from northeastern states. The health ministry had decided to establish a North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine at Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. The state government has already given over 40 acres of land for the purpose and the institute will come up at a cost of nearly 330 million.

The institute will dedicate itself to the cause. Research and scientific validations will also be done there. The institute may soon have branches in states like Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh among others.

Who knows it may give India a different pedestal in the health community of the world.

Madhya Pradesh to launch tribal kids' school enrolment

The Madhya Pradesh government is soon to launch an action programme for enrolment of tribal children in schools. The tribal welfare department's 'School Chalo Abhiyan' for 2008-09 envisages conducting a campaign to motivate tribal parents to send their children to school.

Besides, school dropouts and children not enrolled in schools would be identified. Special care would be taken to ensure that no child in the tribal areas is left out of school up to class 11.

Directives have been issued to ensure implementation of the action plan for the campaign that aims at ensuring enrolment of cent percent children of school-going age, bringing the dropout rate to the minimum level and gradually bringing it to zero, increasing the literacy rate and to enhance awareness of tribals about education.

Habitations having higher number of non-enrolled and dropout children would be identified and efforts would be made to bring them to schools. A committee comprising male and female teachers, presidents of Parents Teachers Assoaciations (PTAs) and panchayat representatives would be constituted for the purpose.

To make the tribal community aware of the programme, public announcements would be made and leaflets would be distributed among them.