The State Can’t See the People for the Land and the Trees The Unjust Adivasi Predicament in Independent India – In Search of a New Direction 1anar-kali.blogspot.com

The State Can’t See the People for the Land and the Trees

The Unjust Adivasi Predicament in Independent India – In Search of a New Direction

1anar-kali.blogspot.com

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html

Traditional Adivasi Characteristics

Subsistence non-accumulative economyLiving in small communities tightly knit by kinship and labour pooling customsFierce defenders of their resource bases which are crucial to their livelihoods.Non-literate song and dance based culturePatriarchal Social Structure


British Policy in Adivasi Areas

Creation of Forest Department -In search of timber needed for ships and railway lines

Extension of settled agriculture to enhance land revenue - Zamindari/Malguzari and Ryotwari land settlement.

Introduction of non-adivasi settler communities to facilitate the above policies

Adivasis pushed out from plains areas into the upper watersheds and hilly regions

Adivasis fought back valiantly against this injustice Promotion of adivasi difference as a counter to the movement for

national independence


Post-independence Legal Framework – A Dicey Proposition

Constitution retains colonial centralised structure of the Govt of India Act of 1935

Indian Forest Act, Land Acquisition Act, Indian Penal Code, Crim. Proc. Code retained

Fundamental Rights and enabling legal entitlements have to be secured through expensive litigation

Provisions of Fifth Schedule not binding Provisions of Sixth Schedule clash with State Powers


The Constitution Within the Constitution

Fifth Schedule – Governor may on the advice of the Tribal Advisory Council prevent the application of general laws to Scheduled Areas. Applicable in nine states in the Eastern, Central, Western, Northern and Southern India.

Sixth Schedule – Autonomous District Councils with extensive fiscal and administrative powers. Applicable in the states of the Northeast.


Denial of Entitlements after Independence

Zamindari/Ryotwari common lands taken over by FD but without following proper procedure.

Settlement in Princely States heavily dispossessed Adivasi communities. Problem of Forest Villages.

Encroachments into revenue common lands and forest lands and regularisation.

Displacement due to development projectsMal-functioning of social and development sector


Developmental Mal-function

Introduction of Tribal Subplan in 1975 to target adivasis

Neglect of Dryland Agriculture in the Upper Watersheds

Unsuitability of IRDP packagesUnsuitability of EducationIrrationality of Health Services

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Legal Wrangles

Denial of Basic Liberal Democratic Rights

Non-implementation of Atrocities Act, Usury Acts, Restoration of alienated land provision.

Conflicting laws, policies, GRs, Court Judgments.

Legality of JFM GRsDenial of Right to Livelihood


Other Socio-economic Dynamics

Adivasis considered as menials by the OBCs and the Upper Castes and this gives strength to the State’s oppressive policies.

Globalisation has resulted in an increase in the value put on natural resources and so adivasi habitats are being targeted even more.


Repressive Whip, Cooptive Sop and Adivasi Self-rule

Bhuria Committee Report and the recommendation of 50% share for adivasis in development projects

PESA. Confrontation in adivasi areas Consequences of Maoist

Movement Influence of Money Power in

Elections Decay of Traditional Adivasi

Culture10anar-kali.blogspot.com

Action Taken By Adivasi Mass Organisations

Mass Action Court Cases fought at

the local level The Samatha Case Intervention in the

Godavarman Case Advocacy through

various national level forums

Recognition of Adivasi Rights Act


The Road Ahead

Positive integration into Modern Society, Economy and Polity

Scope for Cultural RevivalAnarchism as a lifeline from the perils of Modern

DevelopmentOpportunities for Research, Advocacy, Legal and

Mass Action


Readings

Achebe, C (1990): Things Fall Apart, Allied Publishers, New Delhi. Banerjee, R (2008): The Decline and Fall of the Adivasi Homeland : A

Tale of Two Worlds, The India Economic Review, Vol. 5 No. 3 Banerjee, R (2005): Pillar to Post in Quest of Justice, Economic and

Political Weekly, Vol. 40 No. 31 Breman, J (1985): Of Peasants, Migrants and Paupers: Rural Labour

Circulation and Capitalist Production in West India, Oxford University Press, Delhi.

CSCST (The Comissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, GOI) (1990): Twentyninth Report, 1987-89, Govt. of India Publications, New Delhi.

Hardin, G (1968): The Tragedy of the Commons, Science, No. 62.


Readings (cont.)

Mies, M (1999): Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale: Women in the International Division of Labour, Zed Books, NY.

Rahul (1997b): Reasserting Ecological Ethics: Bhils' Struggles in Alirajpur, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 32 No.3

Savyasachi (1999): Tribal Forest Dwellers and Self Rule: Constituent Assembly Debates on Fifth and Sixth Schedules, Indian Social Institute, Delhi.

Shah, M, Banerji, D, Vijayshankar, P S & Ambasta, P (1998): India's Drylands: Tribal Societies and Development through Environmental Regeneration, Oxford University Press, Delhi.

Sharma, B D (2001): Tribal Affairs in India: The Crucial Transition, Sahayog Pustak Kutir Trust, Delhi.

Thoreau, H D (2000): Walden: Or Life in the Woods, Harper, NY.

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Documents

The State Can’t See the People for the Land and the Trees The Unjust Adivasi Predicament in Independent India – In Search of a New Direction 1anar-kali.blogspot.com