http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/2338/40/

Tribals protest against graft

Staff Reporter

  5,000 people, mostly women, gather at block office

  They allege misappropriation of SHG loans

BERHAMPUR: Angry tribal and dalit demonstrators, including a large number of women, protesting against the alleged corruption at the Sorada block office hurled stones at the Sorada tehsil office and tried to ransack it on Thursday evening. Tribal leaders of the Lok Sangram Manch leading them managed to pacify them before they could do damage to the tehsil office. Around 5,000 tribals and dalits armed with their traditional weapons from 25 panchayats had gheraoed the Sorada block and tehsil offices. Bhanjanagar sub-collector Purna Chandra Pathi and the Sub-divisional Police Officer Narasundar Mishra had to rush to the spot with six sections of armed policemen.

Memo submitted

Earlier, they had handed over a list of seven demands to the local tehsildar, Bichitrananda Nayak after holding a rally and meeting.

The officials tried to make the agitators understand that they cannot make any promise regarding land pattas and filling of vacancies of doctors as the notification for panchayat elections was already issued. The agitators resorted to stone pelting with a view to enter the tehsil office to ransack it.

Budha Gamang, president of the tribal organisation, Lok Sangram Manch, however, managed to pacify the angry agitators.

The demand of agitators included cancellation of the list of beneficiaries for Indira Awas Yojana and old age pension in the .

They alleged misappropriation of loan subsidy provided to Women Self-Help Groups (SHG).

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0

Scheduled Tribe family launches dharna

Staff Correspondent

SEEKING JUSTICE: Members of a Scheduled Tribe family from Sarwad village staging a dharna in Bijapur on Wednesday.

BIJAPUR: Members of a Scheduled Tribe family from Sarwad village, 16 km from here, who were allegedly assaulted by caste Hindus, have launched an indefinite dharna in front of Deputy Commissioner's office after being unable to get a case registered with the police.

The victim, Mallikarjun Hucchappa Batagi, has been on dharna along with his mother, wife and two children since Tuesday. They have threatened to end their lives if the administration failed to go to their rescue.

According to Mr. Batagi, who has also petitioned Social Welfare Minister Balachandra Jarkiholi seeking justice, his neighbour, Mallappa Ishwarappa Koti and others, caste Hindus, assaulted him when he opposed the construction of a toilet blocking the entrance to his house. They also assaulted his aged mother and tore her dress when she tried to prevent them from beating him up, he said. They threatened to finish them off if they continued to oppose the construction, he said. He told presspersons here on Wednesday that the accused had gone to the Babaleshwar police station even before he reached there. They again assaulted him in front of the policemen, who, he alleged, not only did not save him but also refused to register his complaint. Then he came to the district headquarters around 8 p.m. on that day, and narrated the incident to Superintendent of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh who telephoned the police officer concerned. However, it was of no use. He said the family decided to stage the dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office as a last resort.

Mr. Batagi said his was the only Scheduled Tribe family in the locality predominated by caste Hindus, who wanted them (Batagis) to shift from there. He said, "We are ready to vacate provided we are given an alternative site. Let them purchase our property. We are also tired of the hostile atmosphere there."

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0

Tribals feel betrayed by rights law

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: While welcoming the passage of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill in Parliament, activists of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, who championed the cause of tribal land rights, have accused the Government of "exposing itself as the agent of forest bureaucracy and private corporations."

In a statement here on Tuesday, tribal representatives said the legislation explicitly not only recognised the tribals' right to land and resources, but also accepted that there were legitimate non-Scheduled Tribe forest dwellers.

"It also recognises our right to rehabilitation in case of past forcible displacement and requires our consent before unscientific and arbitrary resettlement from national parks and sanctuaries. Most importantly, it explicitly recognises our right to conserve, protect and manage the forests, breaking the stranglehold of the autocratic Forest Department for the first time since 1865."

JPC recommendations

However, while conceding the principles that they had argued for, the Government scuttled the law itself. "They manipulated the process, discarded key recommendations of the 30-member Joint Parliamentary Committee's unanimous report and did so at the very last minute such that no one — despite efforts by the Left parties, JPC members and other political leaders — could save the law without giving the Government the chance to stall it entirely."

The Government now defined "forest dwelling" in such a way as to ensure that 90 per cent of the tribals and forest dwellers would be excluded from eligibility for rights under the law.

Entire categories of the most vulnerable non-ST forest dwellers had been excluded.

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0

http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=25716

Tribal people welcome passage of Bill in Lok Sabha

Staff Correspondent

Madikeri: Tribal people of Kodagu district, on Tuesday, welcomed the passing of the Tribal Bill in the Lok Sabha, saying it was a victory for their arduous struggle and would fulfil aspirations of the adivasi people in the country, Kodagu in particular.

Budakattu Krishikara Sangha Madikeri taluk president said the State Government should take steps to declare the tribal areas as "scheduled" at the earliest.

Mr. Muthappa said the passing of the Bill had given a fitting reply to certain non-governmental organisations in Kodagu to stop their alleged anti-tribal activities and instead come out in the open to help their lot. Such NGOs must stop hurling accusations against a few tribal organisations working in the district for the last several decades, he said. The Bill would ensure that non-tribal people living in the forests for over 60 years had equal rights as that of the tribal people, which was a good augury.

The Bill would now ensure development by attracting the attention of the powers-that-be, Mr. Muthappa said.

Sangha's Virajpet taluk president Jenukurubara Ramu said those tribal families that shifted from the Nagarahole National Park from Kodagu side to Veeranahosalli in Mysore district should be brought back and rehabilitated in the forests in the wake of the passing of the Bill.

The adivasis had offered prayers at the Ammalamma temple in the Dubare forests on Monday to celebrate the occasion, R.K. Chandru, former member of the Kodagu Zilla Panchayat, said. The Forest Department as well as the NGOs should stop interfering in the affairs of the adivasis henceforth in the district.

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6193383.stm

The passage of Tribal Rights’ Bill in the Lok Sabha has evoked mixed response in Madhya Pradesh, the State for which the bill is going to have the most far-reaching impact.

While tribal Congress leader Jamuna Devi has hailed the passage of the Bill as a historic moment for the entire tribal population in the country, retired bureaucrat and environmentalist M N Buch said it would spell doom and destruction of surviving forests in India.

On the other hand, the conglomerate of NGOs working among tribals in Madhya Pradesh, which had initially been in the forefront in supporting the Bill, described it as betrayal of the tribal communities.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Jamuna Devi said that recognising rights of tribals on forestland of their habitation is a historic step. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has won the hearts of tribals by introducing the legislation, she added. 

She further said that stringent forest laws in areas in and around national parks and sanctuaries and Forest Conservation Act had made life difficult for the forest dwellers and eviction of tribals had become a common occurrence, but the Tribal Rights Bill would ensure their rights on the land under their possession and guarantee a dignified life to them.

On the contrary, M N Buch said he could foresee death of all forests, particularly watershed forests, in the next 25 years.

“Fortunately I would not be alive by then to see destruction of forests”. The Bill, he said, would do very little good to tribals except for giving them scraps of good-for-nothing land but it would open the forests to privatisation and commercial exploitation.

Buch further said that a fresh spell of encroachments on forestland would be obvious fallout of the Bill and NGOs working among the tribals are always there to encourage it.

He further said that the Bill further proves that the Congress could go no further than paying lip service to late Indira Gandhi, whose greatest feat as Prime Minister was to introduce Forest Conservation Act, 1980 which has gone a long way in preserving remaining forests.

All the work done in that direction would be undone by the Tribal Rights Bill, he warned. Spokesperson for conglomerate of NGOs working among tribals in Madhya Pradesh Anurag Modi condemned the Government for betraying tribal community and other fellow forest dwellers like Dalits, on the issue of forest rights.

He said the Forest Right Bill as passed is an eyewash for the numerous groups who have been waiting for generations to get their due forest rights.

The apprehension that the Bill is being brought to clear the way for the Government to lease out big chunk of forest to private companies has proved right. The NGOs working for tribals’ rights on forest land along with other organisations of the country will launch a movement to secure full right to forest dwellers.

“We are not going to accept half cooked bill”, he added.  Modi further said that the Bill is designed in such a way that it will give by one hand and take away by the other.

Firstly, the forest rights have been limited to Gramsabha limit whereas 90% of the usable forest falls outside the purview of Gramsabha where forest dwellers won’t get any right as per the Bill. The Bill says Forest Dwellers will get forest right within Gramsabha limit. Modi asked why forest dwellers have been limited to Gramsabha whereas all their needs get fulfilled from the forest, which falls outside the Gramsabha limit.

“It has been deliberately done to allow the Government lease out large portions of 90 per cent remaining forest land outside the purview of Gramsabhas to private companies for commercial exploitation”, he said. 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1871815,0015002100000001.htm

Research fellowship for STs

In a bid to provide financial assistance to Scheduled Tribes students to pursue M.Phil and Ph.D courses, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a new Central sector scheme -- Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship -- for 2005-06.

The scheme is open to ST candidates and covers all universities recognised by the University Grants Commission. ST candidates, who have passed post graduate examination in subjects concerned and who desire to pursue research without JRF or UGC -NET or UGC- SSIRNE are the target group for this scheme. Candidates, who registered for M.Phil / Ph.D are eligible for the fellowship. Candidates will be eligible for financial assistance of Rs.8,000 to Rs. 9,000 per month besides other allowances for contingency departmental assistance, escort reader assistance and HRA. The selection is made on the basis of merit and as per the procedure of the UGC. Further details are available on website www.ugc.ac.in.

Jharkhand: Debate on adivasi land rages

Supriya Sharma

Tuesday, December 5, 2006 (Jharkhand):

The debate about using the adivasi land for industrial use is volatile in Jharkhand.

In 2005, the government signed a record number of MoUs. It was a virtual signing spree as the state entered into MoUs with all big steel companies.

A total of 44 MoUs worth a staggering Rs 3,00,000 crore were signed. The biggest ones with Mittal Steel (Rs 40,000 crore), Tata Steel (Rs 53,000 crore), and Jindal (Rs 35,000 crore).

More than a year later the projects are deadlocked. The groundwork has not begun yet.

The adivasi farmer is wary. He remembers the failed promise of the 60s. Nehru's temples of modern India had left him feeling betrayed.

Instead the state capital is abuzz with stories of how company officials out to scout land were beaten up or chased away by villagers.

In contrast, NDTV's team gets a warm welcome in Sinduwa Village. It is Jharkhand's southern belt Kolhan, an area on the radar of most steel companies.

NDTV visits the area on a day when the leaders of Mancha Kumti, a committee of nine adivasi groups, are here to hold a special training session.

"Who is the government to oust us? We are the original settlers. We have perpetual rights over land," said Devendra Champiya, Gram Ganrajya Movement.

"The entire adivasi belt is packed with plants like TISCO, TELCO, BOKARO, apart from dams and mines. When the plants were set up, the expectation was that jobs would follow. Instead, outsiders came and grabbed the permanent jobs. Tribals fell by the wayside. Now it will be worse. Fewer jobs are available as everything is automated. Tribals simply don't have the skills for technical jobs," he says.

Wronged by history

It's not difficult to see how different strands have come together in the drive against industry. There is an acute sense of being wronged by history, cheated by outsiders, and duped by governments.

Many say the tribals must shed the baggage of the past to move with the times, which makes it important to not look back but look at the present, the current interface between adivasis and industry.

In the mining belt of Noamundi trucks are being loaded, not with raw iron, instead with finely crushed ore.

It's the first step in the value addition chain where instead of raw ore being packed off it is now being processed within the mining area.

"I get Rs 5,000 a month sitting at home, as lease money," said a farmer.

Mati Barjo, has given his land on lease, to one of the steel units. He couldn't be happier with the deal.

"It has been a boon for me. My crop would be destroyed by elephants. I could hardly earn Rs 200 to Rs 300 from the land. Now, I comfortably make Rs 60,000 a year," said Barjo.

It's easy to see how with a failing crop and a changing economy small industrial units can step in to curb rural distress. But repeatedly, we find the units have not created jobs.

"The first month, I was employed by the factory for a single day. They give us daily wages work, not permanent jobs as they promised," said a worker.

Factory owners refuse to speak on camera but the chamber of industry offers a pragmatic view.

"We recommend to those who are setting up plants here that they first create tool rooms, equip adivasis with technical skills, so that they can be employed. There can be no real progress unless we take all along. We are in fact happy to announce that we have found our first adivasi member, the owner of Blessed Consultancy Services, John Kujur," said Arjun Jalan, Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce.

Polarised atmosphere

The name is not John but Sannu Kujur and Anuranjan Kujur. Brothers and partners, they believe in this deeply polarised atmosphere a middle ground can still be found.

"I did my MCA at BIT Mesra in 1990 and then joined SAIL. I was with them for six years when I thought of applying in TCS. They were happy to take me and I was pleased that I was no longer employed on reservations, I was working for a private company," said Anuranjan Kujur, MD, Blessed Consultancy Services.

"They sent me on projects to New York, Australia, London. I traveled all over the world. Industry is good for local people, it brings jobs. But jobs are not the only consideration. What happens to adivasi land," he said.

"When tribals are already parting with their land for industry, in one way, they are giving capital for the project. Why can't they get shares then," questions Anuranjan Kujur, MD, Blessed Consultancy Services.

According to his Anuranjan's brother Sannu, Technical Director, Blessed Consultancy Services, people don't fully understand the feelings of adivasis towards their land. It has come down from generations. Losing it is like losing a piece of one's own identity, he said.

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Jharkhand%3A+Debate+on+adivasi+land+rages&id=97473

Listed lacunae
Setback for Assam tribals
The Assam government’s proposal to include plains tribal communities like the Adivasis (tea tribe), Koch-Rajbonghsis, Morans, Mataks, Tai-Ahoms and Chutias in the Scheduled Tribe list is likely to be delayed as much because some of them may not qualify at all given the Registrar-General of India’s tough stand. The matter is now with the Centre and Union tribal affairs minister PR Kyndiah has made it clear he cannot go ahead unless the proposal is cleared by the RGI and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Obviously, to be eligible, every community demanding inclusion in the listed classes has to fulfil certain stipulated criteria. What is difficult to understand is why, despite the issue having been hanging fire since the early 1990s, no efforts were made to expedite the process and ease the bitterness and disillusionment among the communities concerned. The Congress move is purely selfish.
In power with the support of a Bodo party, it has to be in the good books of smaller communities after its traditional ally and vote bank ~ the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind ~ withdrew support, formed its own party, contested the last Assembly elections and bagged 10 seats in the 126-member House. These smaller groups constitute more than 27 per cent of the population and wield influence in as many as two dozen assembly constituencies. At least the case of the seven million Koch-Rajbongshis deserves consideration. They form a majority in at least 26 assembly consitituencies and want their ST status restored. Former chief minister, the late Hiteswar Saikia, granted them ST status by an Ordinance which Parliament failed to ratify and it lapsed before they could enjoy the benefits

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=3&theme=&usrsess=1&id=139017

Tribal Activists Delegation Meets PM

Demands Introduction Of Tribal Forest Bill Immediately

A DELEGATION of tribal activists and leaders belonging to the CPI(M) met the prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on November 24, 2006 and demanded that the Tribal Forest Rights Bill be brought before the parliament in the ongoing winter session itself.

The delegation, led by Polit Bureau member and MP, Brinda Karat, stressed that the Bill be brought with the changes suggested by the parliamentary committee which studied the Bill and before whom some of them appeared and gave their opinions.

The delegation comprised of Jyotin Soren, Praful Lindah, Bal Singh, Oli Patnaik, J Murmu, P Shanmugam, Sanjay Parate, Kera Ram, Duli Chand and Ch Narsingarao. Later Brinda Karat addressed the media at AKG Bhavan along with the delegation members.

The following is the full text of the memorandum submitted by the delegation to the prime minister on this occasion:

WE tribals representing organisations working in different states including Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan would like to congratulate the UPA government for its initiative to bring a Bill to recognise our rights in forests and undo the historical injustices that we have faced for centuries. In some of the states where we are working we face evictions in many areas, we are denied access to forest produce and in many cases we face harassment from forest guards. We earnestly request you to ensure the legislation without delay so as to protect us and our livelihood.

Most tribals have no proof of residence because we have never been given the land pattas. Many of us have faced displacement from our land in the forests not once but twice and even thrice in some cases because of projects, mining etc. so we have had to shift to new areas in the forests where we now live. We request you to recognise our rights on the land as this is our only hope for survival. A cut-off date of over two decades ago, i.e. 1980 will mean mass eviction of tribals. We earnestly request you Sir, please do not have such a cut-off date because then instead of helping us the Bill will be used to evict us. 

We understand that earlier other forest dwellers who were recognized as such will now be evicted from the forest. We think that this will be a great danger for us as we have lived together for many decades and now if these families are removed after the Bill is passed it will cause great unrest in the forests. Please throw out the big timber contractors and others like that but those who have lived in the forests for decades should not be evicted.

Sir, tribal women have had to face many humiliations, beatings and sexual assault. If we have our land and other rights in the forests we can be sure that no one will be able to use our vulnerability to exploit and hurt the women.

We have been accused by some interested quarters of destroying the forests. This is like accusing us of destroying our own families because tribals living in the forests are dependent on the forests and cannot survive if the forests do not survive. We are and will always protect the wealth of our forests and our wild life.

We appeal to you to bring the Bill with the changes suggested by the parliamentary Committee which studied the Bill and before whom some of us appeared and gave our opinions.

http://pd.cpim.org/2006/1203/12032006_brinda%20pc.htm

Helping tribals land jobs to preserve forests

P. Devarajan

The Korku tribals from Melghat, Amravati

Melghat Tiger Reserve , Amravati

"Aapke paas kheti bari hai kya (Do you have farm land to work on)," one asked the 27-year-old Korku tribal Oomba Chunilal Dhurve. He looked down and replied shyly, "Main paidal hoon (I am a walker)." The graphic poetry in his reply described his status as a landless farm labourer. Oomba is a Korku married to a Gond (a rare happening) and his wife agreed to the marriage as Oomba's family had 60 heads of cattle.

Today, his wife and three children live near Harisal while he works at the Community Research Centre set up by the Nature Conservation Society, Amravati (NCSA) on a 20-acre stretch of land outside the Melghat Tiger Reserve.

Oomba is a Class 10 pass and looks after the land and the mud-walled, bamboo-topped hut in which the office of the centre is located. For company he has his Korku friend, Bhura Chitra Kasdekar from Malur. Bhura is 33 years old, has passed Class 11 and has a two-acre land nearby where his wife and three children live. They need not any more walk all their lives as the centre set up by Kishor Rithe offers them permanent employment.

The centre, which opened on August 15, is named Muthawa, a god of the Korkus. This tribal community has three gods and Muthawa is the most tolerant, happy with any or no offering.

The god lives under a neem tree in Korku villages, explained Bhura. The centre is an effort by the NCSA to work on programmes enabling tribals to make a living outside the Melghat Tiger Reserve.

In the process, "the tiger and his forests can be saved," says Kishor Rithe, president, NCSA. For some time now, NCSA has been operating a medical and an education van in the tribal villages of Melghat, Tadoba, Pench (Maharashtra and M.P.) and Bori Satpuda; there is also an employment cell which tries to locate jobs for young tribals in district towns like Amravati. The centre is another facet of this experiment.

The 20-acre uneven land is a quiet place and two mornings one walked the stretch even as cowherds played on their flutes while leading their animals to graze. In the open air, the musical notes from the flute have a lambent quality; even an unmusical like this writer floated a bit in the air.

One morning, we called in young Ramji to play the wooden instrument for us. Bhura joined to play the instrument as the flute is a habit with the tribals living in this area. The bright, morning notes give way to plaintive throbs in the evenings when they drive back their cattle home. One watched in the spaciousness quietness, the sun rise and fall and late nights, sat over wood fires sharing company with the darkness of open lands.

On Amavasya nights, Oomba does not set out for his home as he believes there is a white, female ghost near a stream, a few yards away from the centre. One night he set out on his cycle and saw the ghost cross over from left to right.

He wheeled back to the centre, sweating all over. Bhura is a good carpenter (he picked it up from his friends in the village) and one afternoon he was slicing bamboos to build a gate. He does not wound the bamboo stalks; rather, the chisel skims over them. While relishing Bhura at work, Kishor and myself spotted a crested hawk eagle with a black cobra in its talons flying some 20 ft over our heads. It flew above our heads, banked and climbed into the stark blue sky. For about five minutes it soared with the cobra hanging from its talons before flying off to a resting place to have its meal. "That surely is a rare sight," remarked Kishor.

Chatting over a fire one night, Kishor talked of his plans for the centre. He wants to train tribals for new jobs and set up a research centre to study wildlife, something on the lines of the famed Smithsonian Institute in US.

Today it may seem tall talk but tomorrow it could well be a reality.

"There is always the fear that in the process of upgrading the skills of tribals to lead better lives, one may lose sight of the prime objective — conservation of forests and animals. For me, the centre is a means to preserve the pristine forests of Central India, and every day I keep reminding myself of the first job," Kishor remarked. Forest conservation is a low priority item in modern India though city dwellers pack tiger sanctuaries on holidays. The lie of the 20-acre land will be left undisturbed so that over time, birds will feel free to start breeding. On the forest floors, a young generation of tribals wants to lead city lives like this writer. They realise forests cannot be ploughed for a living and even if the Tribal Bill provides for it, they are not keen on it. Like you and me, they would like to buy the facilities thrown up by modern city civilisation. The centre has a mobile and Oomba and Bhura operate it to keep in touch with the world outside.

One evening we were at Khamda village at the northern end of the Melghat Tiger Reserve talking to middle-aged tribals.

"We want to leave the forests," they told us, as " children do not have quality schools to study. We are not bothered about ourselves. For us our children are more important."

If State Governments can buy land for corporates to set up Special Economic Zones with no taxes, there is no reason why the same cannot be done for tribals to replant them outside the forests. If forests go, the tribals will be the worst hit; and not those who scream in favour of the Tribal Bill.

Khamda village near the Tapi River (acting as the border between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) may not even be located by Google World. The citizens of Khamda village have to trudge miles to get anything.