Naga tribes indulge in merry-making during Moatsu festival

Kohima: Nagaland is a land of festivals where all sixteen of its tribes have their own culture and way of life. It is this cultural harmony that makes it a unique State.

Recently, the Ao tribe celebrated the Moatsu Festival. Held annually in May, the festival is celebrated in anticipation of a good and bountiful crop from "Lichaba".

The Ao's believe Lichaba is the source of blessings and the one who protects nature and the crops.

"During Moatsu, we pray to God and take blessings to sow our seeds for the blessings of cultivation," said Yongtsanglemba, a villager.

Originally, the festival lasted for six days, but is now compressed to three days.

"For young people like us, we get to see new cultures and learn a lot of things. It is also the time when we meet people from far and distant places. We call people and enjoy together," said Chubakumla, a student. "It helps the youth specially who have forgotten their culture. It brings back the past. It is very good that they are doing this. From here, we learn what our heritage is all about. We learn the rich heritage of our culture. I think it is very good that they are doing it," said Katimenla Imchen, another student.

The Moatsu festival is marked by the peppy songs and dances, all full of fun and merry-making.

One of the major attractions of this festival is Sangpangtu. During the programme, a fire is lit and men and women sit around it. They wear their best attire, and the women serve meat and wine.

The main purpose of this wonderful festival is to provide recreation and amusement to the tribe in the post-harvesting period.

All the festivals are linked to the harvest.

Adivasi women fall prey to sexual exploitation

Malappuram, Kerala: Sexual exploitation of Adivasis living in different colonies at Thazhekode panchayat near Perinthalmanna has increased recently with grim stories of unwed mothers and their children sending shock waves through the district administration.

A team of officials that visited the colonies on Thursday was confounded to hear abashing stories of rape, adultery, lechery and incest. The Adivasi women, who were victims of rape and their men’s lust for money, posed a big question before the team led by District Collector M.C. Mohandas.

The district officials immediately drew up a comprehensive plan to save the 45-odd Adivasi families of Thazhekode from the ill reputation they have fallen into.

“What we plan is an integrated approach involving all departments concerned… so that we can give them a lift with the help of the local populace,” said Mr. Mohandas, briefing newspersons at Thazhekkode Village Office.

Specific plan

Accordingly, a comprehensive survey would soon be conducted at Aramkunnu, Melechery, Mullummada, and Panambi colonies in the panchayat.

A specific plan would be put to work on the basis of the survey results, said the officials.
The team, which included Superintendent of Police P. Vijayan and Dy.SP M.R. Maniyan, took statements from the Adivasi victims of sexual abuse. Although their attempt to find a woman who had been pushed into abuse by her father did not succeed, the officials listened to her mother.

Easy money

The woman got pregnant twice and gave birth to a child once. But none knows the fate of that child.

She got Rs.25,000 on two occasions of pregnancy as compensation for rape from the government. And her family found that easy money.

Several other young women in the colony too have got the ‘rape money’ of Rs.25,000 from the government. Local people pointed out that it was the compensation that often drove them into sexual consent.

The plight of a speech-impaired woman in the Melechery colony appeared pathetic. She was in her advanced stage of pregnancy, but did not know the father of her child. She was exploited by a few.

Another woman from the same colony wanted a father for her child. With the help of social worker K.R. Ravi, she asked the Collector for a DNA test to establish her child’s father. She had got Rs.25,000 from the government.

A woman from Aramkunnu colony looked too young for marriage. But she said she was married to a man from Nemmara two years ago.

Thazhekkode Village Officer Harees Kappoor said those cases were just the tip of the iceberg.

Source: The Hindu

Land alienation is a serious threat to Tribals of Jharkhand

Tribals land alienation is one of the major issues of Jharkhand. The tribal community is under the threat due to illegal land alienation today. Though the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1908 and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949 prevent the transfer and sale of tribal land to a non-tribal but these laws were not enacted honestly caused tribals deprivation of land said the Mr Kumar Chand Mardi, convenor of CREJ (Campaign for right to education Jharkhand ) Jan Mukti Andolan; an state level alliance fight for people's right' while addressing in Mahadharna organized by the Crej Jan Mukti Andolan in front of Raj Bhawan on May 17.He said that during 1951 to 1991 about 22 lakh acres of land has been alienated from them .This was done for setting up industries, mines, large dams, sanctuaries, highway and also illegal transfer of land to non – tribals and the practices of the moneylenders system too snatched land from the tribals. The restoration of illegally alienated land has been one of the important mandates of the Bihar Scheduled Area Regulation Act 1969. According to government records, up to 2001-02, 60,464 cases for restoration involving 85,777.22 acres of land were filed out of which 34,608 cases were upheld involving 46,797.36 acres of land and rest were rejected.

He further said that the tribal land alienation is on the rise in the state. A total of 2,608 cases of tribal land alienation were registered under the Special Area Regulation Court in 2003-04, 2,657 cases in 2004-05 and 3,230 cases in 2005-2006. According to the 2004-05 Annual Report of Ministry of Rural Development of the Government of India, the Jharkhand topped the list of tribal land alienation in India with 86,291 cases involving 10,48,93 acres of land. Therefore we demand that the tribal land alienation should be stopped and the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1908 and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949 must be enforced with the true spirit. Therefore today we are publicly announcing that we shall not give even one inch of land for the Industries, Dam, Mining, Power Plant or any other development project. The member of NAFRE (national Allaince for right to equity and education)Jan Andoland, is a national alliance workingfor people's right's Lakhi Das said that we are in a serious threat because the state government has signed 65 MoU and they need huge land for it.

The first Chief Minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi has started signing of MoU and brought the industrial policy in the state. He also advocated for the amendment of CNT Act to sale the tribal land. His successor Arjun Munda went much further and singed MoU with 43 companies, which created upheaval in Jharkhand. UPA came to the power and we were hopping that these MoUs would be revised and rejected but our demands of rejection of MoU was accepted and they are also promoting the same thing which NDA government did. We oppose the corporate development model which induces displacement.

The members of CREJ ( Campaign for Right to Education ) Jan Mukti Andolan; an state level alliance working in Jharkhand on people's right, Arun Anand, Subhan, Jerom Jerald Kujur, Kaleshwar, Pravin Kumar, Roselina Kishku, Gladson Dungdung also addressed the Mahadharna. A memorandum was also submitted to the governor of Jharkhand with 10 points demand. There were hundreds of people participated in the Mahadharna protesting fro their rights.

Source: Gladson Dundung ( social Activist) writer of Mynews.in

Manipur tribals want dam work to be stopped

Imphal, 20th May: Tribals in Ukhrul district of Manipur have been demanding the government to abandon the construction of the multi-crore Mapithel dam. Yesterday, they staged a protest which was organised by the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights and some students and civil organisations.

The protesters wanted the government to pay compensation for the land acquired for the project and then go ahead with the construction. The recent statement by Deputy Speaker Thounaojam Shyamkumar revealed that a 30-metre crack was noticed in the dam which created a terrific storm in many adjoining areas.

Several anti-dam groups have been demanding the government to abandon the construction. Police and Assam Rifles personnel have been posted near the dam site.

Chhattisgarh to open 100 boarding schools for tribals

Raipur: Chhattisgarh on Friday announced that it would open 100 boarding schools in 2008-09 for tribal children to improve the state's literacy levels.

The government will spend Rs.57 million to set up such schools in tribal hamlets of 13 of the state's 16 districts, it said.

Each school will enrol 50 students for primary classes and they will be provided free food apart from all educational facilities. Called 'ashram schools', they will be funded by the state's tribal department.

The concept of ashram schools has been in practise in Chhattisgarh for quite a few years and it aims at encouraging poor tribals to send their children to schools without investing a single rupee and help the government improve the literacy level.