Oraons want Sukhdeo as next Jharkhand CM

By Uttam Mukherjee

Lohardaga: While efforts are on to form a new government in Jharkhand, Oraon tribals see young and dashing Lohardaga MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat as the next chief minister of the state.

They argue that representatives from three out of the four major tribes in Jharkhand have already been given opportunity to serve the people as CM. Now it is turn for Oraons to have an MLA belonging to the tribe as the CM of Jharkhand.

Narayat Oraon, chief of Raji Padha Samiti - the core body of Advasis - said time demands that the Oraons be given the honour to chose Congress' Lohardaga MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat as the most suitable candidate as the chief minister of Jharkhand.

He cited the examples of Madhu Koda from the Ho tribe, Babulal Marandi and Shibu Soren from Santhali and Arjun Munda from Munda tribe who had earlier served the state as Cms much to the pride of their respective tribe.

"Now when efforts are on to form a new government in the state, an MLA from the Oraon tribe be made the CM ," the Padha chief said.

"Sukhdeo Bhagat is the pride of Oraon tribe. Not only is he the most suitable candidate to be made CM, there are other reasons, too. Bhagat is well qualified and a post-graduate from Delhi University. This besides, Bhagat has administrative experience given that he joined politics after resigning as circle officer. In last four years his attitude and sincerity impressed everybody in the Assembly. He is also non-controversial and equally popular among Opposition leaders," Oraon said.

When asked for his reaction, Bhagat said although he respected the sentiments of his tribe, the matter (his becoming the CM) rests with the party leadership and the UPA MLAs.

"I'll abide by whatever decision is taken in favour of the state's progress," he said. On the possibily of government formation, Bhagat said he was optimistic that a new government would be formed by the second week of July.

He, however, made it clear that the government would be formed only in the conditionn that it is Congress-led with the UPA partners and others giving unconditional support.

Source: The Times Of India

Left government neglected tribals in Lalgarh, admits Bardhan

Bringing to the fore fissures in West Bengal's ruling Left Front, alliance partner Communist Party of India (CPI) has said the state was being run as "a one-party government more or less" and the rise of Leftwing extremism in Lalgarh was due to "neglect".

CPI general secretary AB Bardhan, who made the charge, also said that neglecting the cause of tribals in the state had paved the way for the rise of opposition Trinamool Congress in the state.

Participating in CNN-IBN's "Devil's Advocate", Bardhan said West Bengal was being run as "a one-party government more or less" and the lack of consultation with other Left party leaders was one of the failings of the Left government.

On the Lalgarh operation and the reasons for the Maoist upsurge, Bardhan said it was due to "an element of neglect" and in "not undertaking the work that should have been done, particularly in an area inhabited by tribal people".

"There is a need for paying special attention to the tribal people, development and all that," he said.

Asked whether he accepted that the Left government in West Bengal is guilty of neglect, the veteran communist leader said though the government had done a lot for the tribal people, they failed to take the agrarian reforms further.

"They neglected it. Yes, I will say so. If the Left Front government was not failing in some respects, what scope would the Trinamool have? None. Mamata Banerjee or the Trinamool leadership can take advantage of only our weaknesses," Bardhan said.

Bardhan also slammed the Left leaders for their "arrogance".

Asked whether he only had Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders in mind when his party said that Left leaders should shed their arrogance, Bardhan said: "Including my leaders also."

"Some of my leaders are also in positions of authority. In West Bengal and Kerala, the governments are the local bodies, anybody who comes to power tends to become a bit arrogant," Bardhan said.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

Orissa move to restore tribal lands

By Hrusikesh Mohanty

Berhampur: The state government has decided to strictly enforce laws under land reform Act and restore tribals' lands which are at present non-tribals’ possession. The decision comes after the Narayanpatna incident when the Chasi Mulia Sangha, a tribal organization took possession of over 500 acres of land allegedly taken away by non-tribals. The tribals also staged a demonstration at Bandhugaon in Koraput district recently demanding return of their lands.

"We have settled 33 cases and returned about 15 acres of land to tribals in Narayanpatana block by June 10," revenue minister S N Patra said here. He also addressed the media after reviewing the performance of his department in Ganjam and Gajapati districts. The settlement was made between May 10 and June 10.

The clash between tribal and non-tribals in Narayanpatna started over land in May first week. The area was cut off from rest of the country as Maoists blocked the roads.

"Two senior officers have been deputed to settle the cases of tribals in Narayanpatana. They will settle the cases by holding camp courts," the minister said. “Effort are on to settle land disputes in other districts through camp courts,” he said.

The government has asked the people who purchased the land belonging to tribals after 1956 to submit the affidavit showing the reasons of purchase the lands from tribals under Section 22 of the Act. "We have asked the district administrations to examine the records after 1956," the minister said.

Besides, the government has also decided to give patta to tribals who settled in forests under the Forest Right Act. About 30,000 to 40,000 tribals in the state would benefit while 20,000 would be get the jungle land in southern Orissa districts, including Koraput, Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts.

"The government is ready to provide land patta to tribals settled in forest areas as soon as the court vacates the cases," the minister said.

Earlier, the minister asked tehsildars for quick disposal of mutation cases and stress on collection of land revenue, implement other government programmes to provide land to landless families.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) N K Sundaray, revenue divisional commissioner (southern) Satyabrata Sahu, director, land records, collectors of Ganjam and Gajapati and tehsildars of both districts attended the meeting.

Source: The Times Of India

Maoist law chokes Lalgarh tribal traditions

Lalgarh: There is a generation divide in the Lalgarh warzone. Most tribal youths have joined the Maoist-led People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA). Many have joined the guerrilla ranks. They are dictating terms and overruling age-old tribal customs to establish a new, Maoist philosophy-inspired order which this belt has never seen before.

And that's something the elders can hardly tolerate.

The mukhia system, for instance, has been abolished. Instead, the Maoists are laying down the plan of action and the younger generation is only too eager to accept that. The Left radical ideology has more takers than the traditional tribal way of life.

Elders in the tribal community are a very worried lot, as they believe this could harm them on two counts.

First, they point out, the basic tribal issues of poverty, unemployment, water scarcity, education and recognition of their Alchiki language are being ignored as the young men intoxicated by the power of the gun take up arms. Second, when the rebellion is eventually crushed, which they believe is only a matter of time, police could turn ruthless.

"Our young men have gone out of control. They are more interested in seizing power with the help of the gun. They have taken charge of the area and are not willing to pay any heed to our advice. In the bargain, we are not only making police and non-tribals our enemy but also losing out on our traditional sources of income. Our core demands have been pushed to the backburner," said Naren Munda, a village elder near Ramgarh.

The tribal population in the area is largely dependent on the forests, while the rest make a living from the land. The younger tribals, on the other hand, believe that armed rebellion is the only way since they have been ignored and exploited on their own land for generations. With the Maoist rebellion, the tribals of Jangalkhand have got a new-found identity, a sense of belonging where they have been dominated and treated as outsiders, and a position of power which they never enjoyed. They are not willing to give it up even in the face of death.

"This is a fight to reclaim our territory. It was sparked off by police atrocities but now it is a fight for our existence. Tribals had been pushed to the wall and the only option for us is to fight back. This war has helped us win back our self respect," said Shiben, who is leading the charge in a village.

But most elders don't agree with Maoist ideology. Nor do they endorse the armed resistance. "Basic values like respect for elders have been sacrificed. Even religion has lost importance," rued a former village chief.

Police has been trying to use this difference of opinion to win back tribal confidence. In several villages, they have been knocking on doors trying to build a rapport with the locals. A bridge with the tribal population will help to alienate the Maoists, they believe. But tribals have so far not been receptive. It is a weak effort launched a little too late, they believe.

Source: The Times Of India

Koraput headed the Lalgarh way: Tribals look to Maoists for ‘liberation’

By Soumyajit Pattnaik

It’s a similar story, headed for a similar ending. Koraput, an under-developed Orissa district, has been cut off from the world for the last five days and looks in danger of becoming another area “liberated” by Maoists.

Like Lalgarh in West Bengal, before it was won back.

Dispossessed tribals on one side and alleged grabbers on the other are in the middle of a violent battle for land waging in Koraput, which is 560 km from Bhubaneshwar. And no prizes for guessing who is winning.

The administration exists on ground but only just. It has no clue as to how much land was lost by tribals and is able to only hazard a guess about how much has been reclaimed by them through peaceful or not-so-peaceful means.

The tribals don’t bring their complaints to the local administration any more. They go straight to organisations backed by the Maoists. In fact, the tribals are not complaining at all. They simply grab back what was grabbed from them.

“They come and hoist a red flag in our agricultural land, signaling the end of our possession over it. I owned 11 acres of land. Now, I’m hiding in the houses of my relatives,” said Madhusudan Pondu, 72, of Balipeta village.

Both the locals and the administration said Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangha, an organisation of dispossessed tribals, is spearheading the agitation. But its violent ways are blamed on a more radical section within it.

The targeted non-tribals have no choice but to leave the area completely – an estimated 200 people have left the Narayanpatna block of which Pondu’s Balipeta village is a part, in recent days.

The Narayanpatna area has been completely cut off for the last five days as sangha activists have blocked the main arterial road with trees.

On Thursday, nine personnel of the Orissa Special Striking Force who tried to clear the road were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists. Now, no policeman wants to go anywhere near Narayanpatna.

The mainstream sangh leaders held a convention on Saturday but the hotheads from Narayanpatna stayed away. One of them, Nachika Ling, a tribal in his 30s, is believed to be leading the radicals.

This is where the Maoists come in — they are believed to be Linga’s chief backers. And this is where the story begins to sound like Lalagarh’s, where a committee of locals agitating against the police took on the state with the help of Maoists.

“The Maoists want the hawks within the CMAS to take over the organization so that they can guide the tribal movement in the manner the Naxals have done in Lalgarh,” said a senior official refusing to be identified.

“Linga is hand-in-glove with the Maoists,” Sanjeev Panda, DIG of Koraput area, told Hindustan Times. “He was arrested before and spent two to three years in jail before he was released on bail.”

Linga and his group are reported to have forcibly occupied hundreds of acres of land and handed them over to the tribals. The group has also damaged nearly hundred houses belonging to alleged “land usurpers”.

But the state hasn’t given up here yet, unlike in Lalgarh. “Presently, 100 CRPF personnel, about 30 men of India Reserve Battalion and one unit of Orissa Special Striking Force are deployed in Narayanpatna,” said police officer Panda.

And they are not leaving.

Not yet.

Source: Hindustan Times

Showcasing tribal art and culture through cinema

By Mahim Pratap Singh

Bhopal: The International Festival of Films on Tribal Art and Culture was inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Kantilal Bhuriya at Ravindra Bhavan here on Friday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, State Tribal Welfare Minister Jagannath Singh and Czech Republic’s Ambassador to India Dr. Hynek Kmoníèek were present on the occasion.

“The Central Government is doing a lot for the tribals all over India through grants and aid to State governments,” said Mr. Bhuriya. Madhya Pradesh has been granted Rs.129 crore by the Centre this year. The Centre also implemented the Forest Act in December 2007 under which the Madhya Pradesh Government has begun giving land rights (pattas) to original forest dwellers,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that for centuries tribals had been pushed to the margins and all development had been taking place at their cost and the Madhya Pradesh Government was doing its best to compensate them for the injustices meted out to them over the years.

“The Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Department, with support of its creative division Vanya, is all set to launch Vanya Radio, a community radio catering to tribals in the State,” said Department of Culture director Shriram Tiwari.

“The launching process is in the final stage of acquiring licences, and once that is done the radio will start broadcasting in a month or two,” he said. The Chief Minister wrapped up his speech fast, lightening the atmosphere with some humour, saying politicians have a knack of talking unstopped once they are given the mike.

“State Minister Jagannath Singh made a great suggestion of organising a tribal Olympics of sorts, with tribes from all over the world participating in competitive sports,” said Mr. Chauhan, humorously adding, “For this I ask Mr. Bhuriya to provide us financial assistance from the Centre, because there is a lot of it there, and we will definitely organise it.”

The Czech Ambassador said the film festival was a commendable effort in that it draws together tribal cultures not just from one country but from all over the world.

“Ours is a small country with barely more people than in New Delhi,” said Dr. Kmoníèek. “India knows us through our cars (Skoda) and our shoes (Bata), but we also want us to be known for our culture and this festival will go a long way in helping us do that,” he added.

Source: The Hindu

Tribals on warpath in Lalgarh

Lalgarh (WB): Hinting at a state within a state, tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato said his organisation could build infrastructure in just eight months in restive Lalgarh, which the state government could not do in 32 years.

"If the state government had done 10 per cent of the work we did, the situation would have been different," Mahato, Convenor of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) said.

"We have laid at least 50 km of gravel path, dug tanks and tube wells and revived irrigation canals with the help of villagers," he said.

Mahato claimed the PCAPA built a 60-feet-deep reservoir at Barapelia, where its headquarters is situated, and planned to revive a canal for irrigation.

A health centre with a doctor was also functioning at Kantapahari, he said.

Though the government built the road to Midnapore town, all link roads were constructed by the PCAPA, he said, claiming that this saved villagers from walking for miles through forests.

Maoists are on the rampage in Lalgarh, in Midnapore district of West Bengal bordering Orissa, targetting CPM cadres and party offices protesting against police "atrocities".

Source: The Times Of India

Tribals up in arm in Koraput, grab land taken over by non-tribals

Bhubaneswar: More than 5000 tribals living in four panchyats under Narayanpatna block in southern Maoist dominated Koraput districts are up in arms. They have forcibly taken over their lands allegedly cornered by non-tribals over a period of time and are demanding immediate change of record of rights into their names.

The situation remains tense as the officials have not yet been able to bring the agitators to negotiating table. On top of it, the tribals have blocked the road leading to Naraynpatna by felling trees, officials said.

The tribals organized under the banner of Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) forcibly occupied lands belonging to non-tribals across Narayanpatna block of Koraput district on Monday. A month ago, the tribals were alleged to have killed a 40-year-old man and destroyed hundreds of homes in several villages of the in an offensive - rarely seen in the area for ages. Several harijan families, who left their villages for fear of being attacked are still without shelter and food, according to have yet to return home, according to Mr Ratan Das, who lead a team of social activists under the banner of Orissa Sadbhaban Sahnit Abijan [OSSA] to Naryanpatna last week.

CMAS has been fighting against illegal possession of tribal lands though fraudulent means and other basic facilities from the government. In fact, CMAS leader Nachika Linga had confessed before the CMAS team of restoring 150 acres of land to tribals which had been taken over by non-tribals.

Officials, however, said attempts are being made to restore land to rightful tribal land owners under due procedure of revenue laws. “We have already restored some 20 acres of land to tribals suo motto in just a month’s time. It will take some time to identify the land usurped by non-tribals. We have called CMAS for discussion, but they remain unrelenting”, southern revenue divisional commissioner, Satyabrat Sahu on Wednesday told “The ET” over telephone from Koraput.

Mr Sahu said the government had taken up several development activities as demanded by CMAS.

For the last 36 hours, Narayanpatna has remained cut off from the district headquater while the CMAS had demanded the officials to come to their villages for discussion. As the villages come under Maoist influence, the district officials seem not prepared to fall to their trap.

Sources said some 500 acres in five grampanchyats under Narayanpatna block have been illegally taken over by non-tribals affecting about 5000 tribals. Only 15% comprise non-tribals in the block with a population of 45,000.

Source: Economic Times

First Bhil tribal bishop ordained

Jhabua: The first bishop to be ordained from the Bhil tribal community says he want to "empower" his people "socially, economically and politically."

Bishop Devaprasad Ganawa of Jhabua told UCA News on the occasion of his June 16 episcopal ordination that he wants to take up "a holistic revival plan" for his community with the people's support.

The Divine Word prelate also stressed the need to protect tribal dialects, culture and traditions, as well as fight increasing drug and alcohol abuse that have become part of tribal life.

About 10,000 people, mostly Bhil tribal Catholics, attended the ordination ceremony, with many saying they have high hopes that the new bishop would help them develop as a Church community.

The predominantly tribal diocese in central Indian Madhya Pradesh state, created in 2002, has been without a bishop since its first prelate, Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal, was transferred to neighboring Indore diocese in October 2008.

Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal led the ordination ceremony, which saw tribal people in traditional dress dancing to the beat of drums. Eleven other bishops, including three archbishops, more than 300 priests and about 500 nuns also attended.

Sharing his elation during the event, Vijay Martin Meda, a Catholic, told UCA News: "Now the tribal people can go and see the bishop directly to share their problems. They will feel that they would get a proper hearing as the bishop knows the community well."

He also said people expect the new bishop to expand education, health care and other Church services "to every remote corner of the diocese, even where there are no Catholics."

Manual Ganawa, nephew of the new bishop and a catechist in the diocese, shared that "we now have overcome the biggest hurdle, the communication gap."

Although the former bishop and other missioners were "doing a good job," several of them failed to see the importance of local traditions and customs as they came from "outside the community," he said.

Father Casmir Damore, a Bhil tribal, echoed this view, saying that the ordination of Bishop Ganawa "is a dream come true for our community,"

Bishop Thottumarickal also told UCA News that a local person heading the Church here is in a better position to identify with people's feelings and sentiments than people from outside the community.

In his homily during the Mass, he noted that a local person becoming bishop "was a real recognition of the aspirations of the people."

Fifty-eight-year old Bishop Ganawa heads a diocese of about 31,000 Catholics in an area which is home to about 4 million people, mostly Hindus.

Presently, 14 of the 61 priests in the diocese are from the Bhil community.

Christianity is more than a hundred years old here with the first parish set up in 1896 in Thandla village.

The Catholic Church created Jhabua diocese out of Indore and Udaipur dioceses so as to better meet the needs of the tribal people.

Jhabua district is considered a backward district in India, having poor health care facilities and a less than 23 percent literacy rate. The district made headlines in 1998 with the rape of three Catholic nuns by suspected members of rightwing Hindu groups.

Since then, the local Church has witnessed a series of attacks on its members. Extremist Hindu groups have accused the Church of using education and health care to attract and convert gullible tribal people.

Source: Indian Catholic

Santhal tribals celebrate 'Baha' festival in Jharkhand

Durgapur (Jharkhand): With the local priest distributing Sal and Mahua flowers to both men and women, and tribals dancing to drum beats, the colourful festival of 'Baha' was celebrated amid traditional gaiety in Durgapur region of Jharkhand recently.

In the three-day long festival, the first day was dedicated to purification. On this day, tribals gather at the spot named 'Jatherthan' (holy grove) in their village and set up an abode for the deity.
Later the priest offers prayers.

On the second day, the tribals once again gather at the 'Jatherthan' singing and dancing, and the priest after offering prayers, performs various rituals in honour of the deity and their ancestors.

The priest later visits all the houses in the village where the women wash his feet and he gives them Sal flowers as per tradition. Sal flowers have a special
significance for the tribals.

The Sal and Mahua flowers with which the priest offers the prayers and performs the rituals, are distributed and we all wear them.

Men tuck these behind their ears while the women adorn their hair with these. We sing and dance to celebrate the Santhal holi. The priest goes from house to house, where women wash his feet, he then gives them the Sal flower. This is our tribal traditional 'Baha' festival, said Lobin Murmu, President, Santhal Samiti, Durgapur.

he third and last day is that of celebration. The tribals also celebrate the 'Baha' Holi, the festival of colours, as part of their traditional heritage.

And throughout the festivities, the priest sleeps on a straw mat on a floor purified with cow dung.

The Santhals are one of the largest tribal communities of India, inhabiting the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bihar. (ANI)

Tribals run hydroelectric power plant in Orissa

Bodomonjari (Orissa): Tribals in Orissa's Koraput district have set up a hydroelectric power station with the help of a self-help group-All India Backward Class Village Development organization here.

"Initially the project was started under the guidance of the organisation but now villagers with their hard work know how to manage the electricity plant.

Now the project belongs to the villagers only," said Hanak Tandi, a member of the project committee.

Today, these tribals are also operating the hydroelectric power station. A committee of 20 villagers has been formed to take care of the management of the project, which generates around 30 kilowatt of electricity out of which villagers currently use 10 kilowatt.

"We provided material like iron, cement and other equipment for the construction of the power plant. The villagers did all the construction work. They did not ask for any wage in return. I believe it is more than Rs. 300,000 now," Tandi added.

"We never thought that electricity would come in our village. We have got many benefits from it. Now with the electricity our kids are able to study," said Madhusudan Tandi, another villager.

Villagers say that previously they were totally dependent on rains for cultivation. But now they get enough water for irrigation from the plant.

Moreover, each family of the village contributes Rs 20 per month for the project management, which is deposited in the bank. The amount will be used to meet the repairing expenses.

Source: NewsTrackIndia

Tribals lose confidence in Bengal govt, turn to Maoists for reforms

By Romita Datta and Aveek Datta

Lalgarh (West Bengal): Madan Sardar gave his two sons, Sanjoy and Pradip, the best education to be had in a small village in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, and wanted them to eventually move to a big city, preferably Kolkata, and study more.

Sardar, who has always had links with ultra-Left political outfits and is now an activist with the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA)—a radical political group backed by the Maoists that has seized administrative control of a large area in West Midnapore district— didn’t initially want his sons to get involved in politics.

But after completing school, Sanjoy and Pradip, 19 and 16, respectively, have decided that they are going to join the “guerrilla movement” of the Maoists. “Very soon, their training will begin at a camp deep inside the forest,” says Sardar, who was initially unwilling to let his sons go, but eventually gave in to their wish. “Even my sons now believe that the only way to bring about reforms is through armed struggle.”

The crisis in Lalgarh, where the Sardars live, intensified in November after the Maoists tried to blow up with landmines a convoy carrying West Bengal’s chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and then Union steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
The police detained and allegedly tortured several tribals on suspicion of harbouring Maoists, following which the tribals fought back by driving the police out of Lalgarh. The administration has since not been able to regain control of the area, which is now under the administration of PCPA.

Maoists are fast making inroads into tribal areas in West Bengal’s West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts, where agricultural yield is low, poverty is high and the state government has done little to develop basic infrastructure. Even drinking water in these districts is scarce, say locals.

Under a directive issued by the Union government in 2005, state governments are required to put aside at least 28% of their funds for being spent in backward areas. But in West Bengal, “no department except forests” has been following the directive, according to Jogesh Barman, the state’s minister for welfare of backward classes.
“My department gets around Rs300 crore a year for being spent on backward areas, but if other departments also spent 28% of their funds on these areas, we could have done a lot of things,” adds Barman.

The two key departments of food and health, for instance, should have together spent at least Rs675 crore on helping backward people over the past four years, show budget documents of the West Bengal government, but officials admit almost nothing has been done. On paper, though, most departments comply with the Union government’s directive.

“Is it possible to separate funds for tribals? Is there any tribals-only hospital in the state? So, what could we do? We had no option but to divert funds to hospitals and medical colleges in Kolkata and other towns,” says P.K. Mohanty, joint director of the directorate of health services.

Years of neglect have resulted in people in tribal areas losing confidence in the state government, according to Abhirup Sarkar, a professor of economics at Kolkata’s Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

“Till 2006, the Left Front had a huge support base among tribals. But since then, its support base among the tribals has vastly eroded,” says Sarkar. “One reason for this alienation is deprivation, and the other, I think, is restrictions imposed by the administration on exploitation of forest resources. These people are largely landless, have no skill or capital to run businesses, and were completely dependent on forests for livelihoods.”

An ongoing study at ISI shows there are at least 1.8 million poor people—or people below the poverty line—in Midnapore alone (the data for the study was gathered before the Midnapore district was split into two).

In Bankura and Purulia districts, which are not as populous as Midnapore, fewer people are poor, but in these two districts as well, rural poverty is as high as 28.5% and 31%, respectively, of the total population, according to Buddhadeb Ghosh, professor of economics at ISI.

In West Bengal, 16.9 million people, or about 28% of the state’s rural population, are poor.

But deprivation and poverty alone didn’t lead to the Maoists gaining a hold on these districts, says Sarkar. “Tribals in north Bengal, too, face similar problems, but they haven’t raised arms against the establishment. The Maoists managed to make inroads into West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts because of their proximity to the Maoist belt in Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh,” he adds.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which along with its allies has ruled in West Bengal for 32 years, has after its recent debacle in the general election realized that the state government hasn’t been doing enough in backward areas.

In a recent interview with Mint, West Bengal’s commerce and industries minister and the No. 2 man in the state cabinet, Nirupam Sen, said, “The state government must address certain issues more sensitively, particularly issues facing the tribals, the poor and backward people. In our state, about 50% of the people are backward. We have to understand how best the state government could intervene and help backward people.”

Source: LiveMint

Who pays the price of development?

By Gladson Dungdung

The ‘Kelaghgh dam’ is the most beautiful dam constructed on Chhinda river in Simdega district of Jharkhand situated at a distance of 4 km from the district headquarter. It is the best tourist place in the district with lovely water dam surrounded by multiple hills which attracts tourists very much. There is a plateau in the dam where a small and beautiful park exists. Besides, the district administration provides the facility of motor boating and a hotel is also constructed where the tourists can avail the lodging and food facility. But how many of us really know that this beautiful place is made on the grave of Adivasis (indigenous people)? Their only livelihood resource that was land had been snatched away from them during the construction of the Dam. The promises made for providing jobs, adequate compensation and rehabilitation packages were not fulfilled. The owners of the lands were left to die in the name of ‘development’.

The Kelaghagh dam was constructed in 1980 under the minor irrigation project of the irrigation department of the government with the aim of irrigating land of the Simdega block, where three villages – Bernibera, Bara Barpani and Bhudhratoli completely submerged in the dam with the affected people of approximately 3500. These villages were highly populated by Kharia, Munda and Oraon Adivasis, where they used to practice their interesting tradition and culture.

Interestingly, the project failed to achieve its objective. Presently, the water reaches to only one village – Meromdega and the water supply to Tukupani, Jambahar and other areas was stopped since a long time. Though the irrigation project uprooted the well-off Adivasis of three villages but only one village is being benefited from the project. Secondly, the Simdega Notified Area Committee supplies the drinking water to Simdega town from the dam but the displaced people, those who have been living near by the Dam get supply water neither for drinking nor for irrigating their a few pieces of land.

A village called Bernibera situated at a distance of 5 kilometers in the eastern part of Simdega lost it origin, meaning and identity, which had a historic origin made of two words – Berni and Bera. The ‘Berni’ is the name of an herbal plant, which is used as a medicine to cure fever, and the plant is also used to make a rope. Another word ‘Bera’ is a Kharia (language of Kharia Adivasis) word meaning a big piece of fertile land. Hence, there were big pieces of fertile lands and Berni herbal plants were also in plenty nearby the village therefore the village was named Bernibera. The people of the village used to yield plenty of wheat, paddy and vegetables. But when the dam was constructed the big pieces of fertile lands submerged in the dam and the herbal plants also disappeared from the area.

70 years old Mangaldas Kharia is one of those unfortunate victims of Bernibera village faced displacement while construction of Kelaghagh Dam. His family was well-off as his father (Jakarias Kharia) had 20 acres of fertile land in the village and he was also working as a teacher in a government primary school. He had also purchased another 10 acres of land in a village called Lathakhamhan, where he used to teach is a school with a dream of making a good life for his sons (Mangaldash and Isaac). Since he had two sons therefore he was willing to settle them in two different places so that there would be no chances of any conflict between them. But his dream was washed away by the dam. His land of Bernibera village was submerged in the dam and he was given merely Rs. 11,000 as compensation.

Finally, the family had no option than settling down in Lathakhamhan village, where the family had 10 acres of land. The land of Lathakhamhan village was divided between two brothers (Mangaldas and Isaac), which led to a huge division in the family. Though Mangaldas Khria survived because he got the government job as teacher in the place of his father but his younger brother Isaac suffered the most. Later on Isaac and his wife were brutally murdered and their four kids left the village and living else where. They are still not able to settle down. Thus, a well-off family was destroyed by the development project and Mangaldas Kharia is still fighting for the compensation for the land. He recalls that how women those who were protesting against the construction of dam had been kept in the Hazaribagh Jail for three days in 1980.

The villagers had started protesting against the land acquisition by shouting a slogan ‘No to Dam’ but the protest was stopped when the police atrocity was inflicted on the people. In 2007, the displaced people again started a fight with the government for the jobs and compensation promised during the land acquisition for the dam. 70 Raiyats (land owners) including Mangaldash Kharia have filed a case in Gumla Civil Court claiming for the jobs and compensation for their lands. But the unanswered question is will the justice be delivered to them? They have paid the heavy price for the development but get no opportunity to enjoy its taste. Ironically, the government of Jharkhand has signed 102 MoUs (Memorandum of understand) with the corporate houses for establishment of steel plants, mining industries and power plants without addressing the issues of more than 15 lack displaced masses. Are we still advocating for this kind of unjust development processes in India?

Source: www.jharkhandmirror.com

Five tribals killed, village torched in Assam

Guwahati/Imphal: At least five tribals were killed and several injured Wednesday in an early morning strike by separatist militants who also set ablaze an entire village in strife-torn North Cachar Hills district in southern Assam, police said.

In a separate incident, two insurgents of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) were killed in a shootout with paramilitary Assam Rifles personnel in Chandel district in eastern Manipur.

"A group of terrorists struck at Boro Chamon village, under Haflong police station in Assam's militancy ravaged North Cachar Hills district early in the morning and fired indiscriminately killing five Zeme Naga tribals on the spot and injuring 10 people," a senior police officer told reporters in Guwahati.

"Before fleeing from the area, the tribal guerrillas, yet to identified, set on fire all the 56 houses in the village," the official said.

The dominant Dimasa tribe and Zeme Naga tribe have been engaged in a turf war in the hill district where several militant outfits including Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), Dima Halam Daogah-Jewel faction, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and NSCN (Khaplang faction), are also active.

In Manipur, Assam Rifles troopers during routine patrolling engaged in a half-hour gun battle with the UNLF ultras and shot dead two rebels on the spot while the other cadres managed to escape at Chakpi village in Chandel district.

"A sophisticated rifle, two magazines, large cache of ammunition and an improvised gun were recovered from the spot," a Manipur police spokesman said.

According to police officers, over 200 people have so far been killed in militancy-related incidents in Manipur this year.

Security has been intensified along the Nagaland-Assam border to prevent Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Gorlosa faction) militants from sneaking in following the crackdown on insurgent groups by army and paramilitary forces in North Cachar Hills district.

"A strict vigil is being kept on the Nagaland-Assam border, especially in Niuland area of Dimapur district and Peren district, where the fleeing DHD militants might infiltrate," said Assam Rifles inspector general Pallab Choudhury.

A central team headed by Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastava visited the trouble-torn southern Assam last month and held a series of discussions with state government, security and railway officials.

"After the central team's visit, the union government has asked the Assam government to step up security in North Cachar Hills district following repeated attacks by militants on trains, civilians and security forces," said Assam Chief Secretary P.C. Sharma.

Meanwhile, Special Task Force (STF) commandos arrested North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) chief executive member (CEM) Mohet Hojai and two other senior officials last week for alleged links with the outlawed outfit, Dima Haolam Daogah (DHD) or the Black Widow group.

After Hojai's arrest, the Assam government has recommended to the governor to suspend the NCHAC.

Source: The Times Of India