36 Displacement, Rehabilitation and Social Changes

Kiran Singh

Content:

1.      Introduction.

2.      Land Acqusition. 

         2.1. Issue Related to displacement and rehabilitation.

         2.2. Objective of Rehabilitation.

3.      Development and tribal identity.

         3.1. Short detail of tribes in India

         3.2. Indigenous Knowledge of tribes.

4.      Rehabilitation and Resettlement 

         4.1.case in Odisha

         4.1.1 Coal mining projects.

         4.1.2. Industrial projects.

         4.1.3 Posco Project.

5.   Land Alienation.

         5.1 Tribal land alienation in Jharkhand.

         5.2. Chhattisgarh Case.

6.      Summary.

7.      Conclusion.

Learning Objective:

• Student will be able to learn land acquisition bills, displacement.
• Student will be able to learn rehabilitation and resettlement.
• Student will be able to know the case of the displacement, rehabilitation and social changes in tribes.

    1.    Introduction:

After the independence period. India started to develop to policies towards the development of the nations, economic growth of the people. Development in infrastructure, roads, Bsic necessity like hospital, schools and colleges for the people. Started investment in the large miming and dam project, investment in industrial area. This process started the taking up new approach and that is displacement and land acquisition from original inhabited people. In India lot of displacement, rehabilitation and resettlement places has taken. Tribal people are more vulnerable and exploited from the mainstream society

2.   Land Acquistion: According to United Nations Universal declaration on human rights. Housing is right of human being as basic human right. Displacement of people from their living place create mental disturbance to human being. It creates insecurity of land, jobs. In India most of the land acquisition is done by the government for various different reason. Land acquisition bill is made in parliament in 1894 by the land acquisition act. If the government is taking any land for it purpose. In this case govt. Have to give prior notice to vacate the land. And in returned of land govt should provide the cash compensation to land owner. This is according to Land acquisition bill.

2.1 There are some issues related to displacement and rehabilitation are given below:

1. People after displacing from their own place suffer from various mental disturbance. They pass through the socio cultural changes stage. This may result in cultural shocked, rises in criminal activities.
2. Most of the tribal people are poor because of the low technology, lack of education. Theircondition of economic getsworse due to loss of Job, loss of common property they access. In security of the food, social isolation, increase the rate of morbidity and mortality.
3. Tribal people suffer from the health related problem. Because of the poverty they use to live in unhygienic place and do not get sufficient amount of required protein, iron vitamin in their meals.
4. Tribal peoples are not familiar with the policies and trend of the modern economy. So they get alienated by itself after getting compensation to.
5. Tribal people loss their traditional identity of individuals. This is due to break in the connection between the people and environment. Loss in indigenous knowledge regarding the plats, herbs and shrubs.
6. With the displacement tribal people also loos their social network. Like kinship systems. Vanishing in the traditional dance of particular tribe, folksongs. Because when they get resettle with new place. They hardly get in touch with their members. Change in occupation.

    2.2. Objective of the Rehabilitation:

1. Displaced tribal people also get opportunities of employment along with cash compensation.
2. People of the villagers must be taken into confidence about implementation of each and every step. They must be aware of the policy, new projects, about the usefulness of their land.
3. When tribal people get displaced from their place. They must allow living the lifestyle and patterns of their own way. Without imposing any restriction on them.

    3.  Development and Tribal identity:

In India tribal is considers as the ethnic people.Due to the distinction culture, linguistic group. Hand off approach was adopted by the government for tribes living in isolated north-east area. To protect the tribe from the outsider hand. Government develop fifth and sixth schedule in the constitution of India. For North east state and north India from the restricted the entry of outsider to the tribal zone. Tribal area are directly administered by the government of India. Govt set up review commission on tribal policy known as Dhebar commission 1960. Dhebhar commission report provided the information that acculturation process is taking place. Due to the modernization. This led to the changes in the occupation of tribal community. From forest orientation and hill cultivation to the animal husbandry and agriculture. This report led provision of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 that avoid rejecting the customary tribal rights to the forest. In Kerala after emerging the communist party. It led discourage to private companies and corporate from entering into high-tech plantation activities. Govt. Given preference to the co-operative societies to enter the high tech agriculture to promote tribal modernization and rehabilitation. To bring the tribal people with the mainstream for the struggle against the landlordism. Kerala communist party started the demand for creating Kerala as linguistic provinces of India. In this view tribal had to come up with new opportunities in context of the economic development, social advancement.

In 1975 Kerala successfully implemented and enacted the “Abolition Bonded Labour act”. By this act large number of tribal people were freed from grip of the money-lenders. Govt. of Kerala also started the rehabilitation programme for releasing tribal. Co-operative farming were formed for the cultivation of commercial cash crop by the tribes. Later tribal forest were taken by co-operative project named “Sugandhari Cardamom project”, Priyadarshini Tea state. Tribe also provided with water supply, social infrastructures, education, establishment and sanitation.Govt. Also hascome up with the idea of tribal development programmes, plan and scheme.

3.1. Short detail of tribes in India: Article 366(25) of the constitution of India refers to the schedule tribes to those communities. Who are schedule according to article 342 of the constitution and has been declared by the President of India. They are called denotified tribes or schedule tribes of of India. Total scheduled tribes population in India is 47.10% in 2001 census. According to the list of Ministry of Tribal affairs. The characteristics of the schedule tribes are the following:

1.      Distinctive culture.

2.      Geographical isolation.

3.      Indications of primitive culture.

4.      Shyness with the contact to other communities.

5.      Backwardness.

India is country with vast diversity and culture. Tribes in India is distributed to all over the country. Foot- hills of the Himalayas to land dip of Lakshwadeep India. From Hills of the North-east state to the plains of the Gujarat. Highest percentage of tribes in Chhattisgarh state of India i. e 30.6%. About 12 percent tribes are in North eastern state. Some tribes of North eastern state comes under sixth schedule of the constitution. Which grants north eastern tribes a greater autonomy. Nagaland and Mizoram tribes run their civil affairs according to their customary laws.their There are total 641 tribes in India. Out of these 176 tribes are inhabited in central India. The distribution of tribal population in India is based on the linguistic and geographical location.

3.2. Indigenous Knowledge of tribes: Tribes of India are hill and forest dweller. Also inhabited at desert, coastal area. They having the vast experience of practice of indigenous knowledge Leading to sustainable livelihoods. Their knowledge reflects in harvesting techniques, construction of the bridges in hills. Use of shrubs and plants for medicinal purpose. In hilly area tribes practise old knowledge in construction of their house. Like what material should be used in making house warm. Useful remedies and medicine gives to pregnant women and to new born babies to make them strong. All this knowledge of valuables should be preserved in written and document form before it get vanish in modernization.

4.      Rehabilitation and Resettlement

4.1.   case in Odisha:

Rehabilitation policy of Odisha: Person eligible to receive the rehabilitation and resettlement assistances included:

1.    Son a person above 18 years irrespective to his marital status.

2.    All mentally and physically challenged person, disabled person.

3.    Minor orphan who lost both parents and have no body to look after.

4.    Divorcees.

5.    Widows.

4.1.1 Coal mining projects: Coal mining is main economic activity in Odisha. As odisha is rich in minerals. One found the impact of coal mining in two district coal rich. Tribal women and men have lost due to mining project. Conflicts have taken between the tribal people and host of mining project host. And it came with several recommendation which is useful for policy. Are given following:

1.      Tribal people should get the information which can be affecting them.

2.      NGO involvement must involve encouraging in all resettlement activities.

3.      Affected person especially women should get employ in mines on priority.

4.      The site which has been provided for resettlement must have the necessity sufficient that provide the livelihood.

5.      Assets lost must replace with replacement value.

6.      Resettlement should be land based.

7.      And community should involve in resettlement process decision making.

4.1.2. Industrial projects: state of odisha is on industrialization growth. It’s supported by the many foreign companies as big player. Like Posco nad Vedanta projects. Foreign countries has looking more for in our country because of favourable industrial policy. And Indian companies like Tata steel, NTPC, NALCO. Because of the industrialization projects has put impact on the lives of the local people. Some of the recommendation include in resettlement policy they are as following:

1.      Records of land should be updated and computerized.

2.      Involvement of the eminent social science and professional in resettlement.

3.      There should be strong and effective grievance redress mechanism.

4.      Avoidance of gender discrimination in resettlement policies.

5.      Web site should be created and updated by the project. To provide the information about all activities of the resettlement.

Source: http://www.tripurainfoway.com/tempimg/image/14.jpg

4.1.3 Posco Project in India:

Posco is Korea based subsidiary to built its indian rupees 51,000 crore steel plant in Paradeep in jagatsinghpur district of Odisha. On 8 august 2008 supreme court allowed the posco company to built it project. On the same day supreme court allowed one more foreign based subisidiary of Britain’s Vedanta Resources private limited company, in Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district of Odisha. To start it mine bauxite in Niyamgiri hills. In this area tribe named Dongria Kondh tribe considered niyamgiri hills as to sacred place. Dongria kondh tribe started protest against the Vedanta. Supreme court order has undermined the tribal protest and encourage for acqusitions of lalnd. Leading to the land displacement without proper rehabilitation, destruction of their culture. Its lead to threat to the cultural of tribes in the name of development. Threat into their lives on the name of displacement.

Source:http://www.peasantautonomy.org/images/rep07x-02.jpg

   4.1.4. 2008 in June in Jagatsingpur district violence erupted for demanding compensation package for settlement. Near Bhusan steel and strip’s upcoming project of Meramundali in Dhenkal district. Villagers tried to stop the construction. Villagers alleged that they have turned to daily labourer wages from farmer. They also accused that they have given their land on throw away price which is very less. But now they want their land back. It was also claimed by the displaced victims they were harassed by the for demanding compensation.

Effect of Resettlement:

1. Creating the risk of “new poverty”: Displacement and development induce unleashe widespread of environmental, economic and social changes patterns that they follow.
2. Landlessness: Moving from settled place to new place. Compensation prices paid only full fill the immediate demands of survival and needs. Other land they shifted is less or unproductive. So the loss of the productive values.
3. Joblessness: these people are belong to rural area. So they are unfamiliar with rural peasant and indigenous economics. Most of them get in fear when they get job in project company because of cultural shocked.
4. Health risk : Many records have resulted that health risk is associated with displacement. Already tribal people are at marginal health risk. After displacement they get in trauma and stress of moving. Problems that documented shows that gaining access to safe water, safe sewage. Increased the epidemic infection, dysentery and diarrhoea. As a result impact on health fall ills. Such as expecting mothers , children, infants, and elderly. 

    5.      Land Alienation:

Most important assets to any person or population or tribes are resourceful productive land. It’s also occupy the important mental or psych stay in their cultural, religious and social activities. Land acquisition has not only for public interest. It has been taken for fraudulent cases, lease and encroachment. For self interest purpose. Many fraudulent take the land from the tribal people and sell it for construction of buildings and malls. These lands are taken by taking the thumb impression on land document paper and get registers in land records. Land alienation in the schedule area types:

i).Govt. has played important role in taking back land of tribal people from the non-tribal people or plain people. Different state government has frame different laws of protective. Andhra Pradesh has land regulation which is called Land Transfer Regulation Act of 1959 and later its 1970 act by amendment. Some provisions have drawn to protect the land from non- tribal.

• Transparency in the records of the land access of tribal land at village level in local language not only in English.
• To dispose the case a strong political will also require.
• When land records are absent of tribal so oral evidence should also considered. And try to dispose the case in speedy way. In case absence of land records.
• Display of the revenue details at the village level must be implemented. Regular conduct of the Jamabandhi, and regular updating of the land records must be kept.
• Every land dispute should be solve as soon as possible so that tribes. Do not face any harassment from the non-tribal people, revenue and other department.
• The non-tribal should get stay order from the court. After the lands are restored to the tribal. This should not be allowed as the lands are gain in the enjoyment of non-tribals.
• In the survey of the land NGO and tribal should allow to participate.
• For the speedy settlement of cases sufficient required staff should posted.
• The land which is cultivated by the tribal since age should be provided with the patta to forest villagers.
• Every state with scheduled area should have prohibitory clause while transferring lands from tribes.
• State which is having particular pocket area of tribes or zone of tribes. Demarcate this area under the fifth schedule of the constitution.

    5.1 Tribal land alienation in Jharkhand:

Jharkhand is new state form in 2000. Here land alienation act arise because of two laws santhal pargana tenancy acts and chottanagpur tenancy act to prevent sale of land to non tribals from tribal people. Tribal people had file the petition in Jharkhand court for recovery their land from mining company’s. tribal people have also protested against National hydroelectric company for the implementation of Koel Karo hydroelectric project. If the project has passed then it will submerge more then two hundred village, temples, churches, more then fifty thousand acres of forest area and agricultural area.

Arcelor Mittal the largest steel making industries faced stiff resistance from tribals. Tribal made their organization with named called “Adivasi Moolvasi Astiva Raksha Manch”. Tribal stated that land identified by the Arcelor Mittal is non-transferrable land to the non- tribal people.

5.2. Chhattisgarh Case:

Chhattisgarh state contribute about 16% of coal to the country. Tribe of Khamariya village started to raise the objection for giving their land to the Jindal Coal mines in 2007. These people were beaten up by the administration during the protest. Tribes of the stae are Birhor,baiga, kamar, Hill Korwa and Abujhmaria.

In the development process of Chhattisgarh state. Tribal land alienation has taken on large scale. e.g. cement plants in tilde, diamond mining in Devbhog, power plant in premanagar, coal blocks in Raigarh, Bauxit mining in Jashpur and sarguja. All in this area tribal faced resisting displacement . A pesant women name Satyabhama lost her life. She was force to break the indefinite fast. She has took for savin the water of river name “Kelo” . This river is polluting through the wastage by Jindal Steel in district of raigarh.

Coal based thermal power plant of IFFCO case: The Indian Framers Fertilizer Co-operative Ltd. (IFFCO) decided to put it investment in coal based thermal power plant in premnagar surguja district of Chhatisgarh. But unfortunately IFFCO had to withdraw from the project proposal of setting up 1000mw coal –based thermal power plant. Because there was strong protest against the project by the tribal people.

In Bastar region protest: 2008 in may steel plant of ESSAR propose to set up steel plant Faraspal district of Dantewada. Tribal people of this region by doing two-days “Padyatra” from the site of steel plant of ESSAR to district of Dantewada, to protest mining of iron ore from the mountain Biladila. They claimed that government has given the land on lease to industrial houses such as Tata and Essar in mountain Biladila area 40 km long and 10 km wide. This mountain area is rich in deposites of iron ore. This land area should not give on lease to the private companies. Because this could pose a greater threat to cultural and social activities existence to the mountains as well as for the local culture of tribal people.

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6. Summary:

    Land acquired for project by the govt. according to the land acquisition act. The land acquisition is a legal standing. But rehabilitation is no legal standing. For e.g. who is deprived from livelihood has no legal action for rehabilitation. The main feature of land acquisition is to give the compensation to the

Person loosing property in land acquition. For tribes who inhibited to original place. Earn their livelihood through the forest. Forest is source of the food, fodder, fuel and other daily use of household items. But now after displacement the accessibility to forest is restricted to them. So many incidences about displaced people have been pushed lower level of economic status as compared to their own inhabited place. Social changes has also been seen like changes in their own culture. Forgetting their traditional customs and values, folklore and dance. They came to urban city in search of job. Many of them use to pull rickshaw and shy to tell about that they are tribe.

7. Conclusion:

    Development projects emerging a new sources of land alienation. Tribal area are most attracted to private companies for exploiting mineral resources. And tribal are forced to pay higher price in case of the irrigation project.

Report by the various researches has shown that only small percentage of the tribal have benefitted with facilities of rehabilitation. From the big projects large number of tribal people has been displaced and pushed towards the increase in the unemployment, destitution and debt bondage. Payment of compensation given by the host of the project directly cash. It empowers the tribal to do unproductive expenditure and practices of fraudulent. In the process of the displacement children’s and women’s get more badly affected. In the loss of the right from the forest, access to the traditional sources of livelihood. Such as water, land, forest, pasture and rivers. Marginalizes womens more then the men in the labour market. Women and tribal people can be empowered by the regaining the other sources and land.

Suggested Readings

• The Hirakund Dam Oustees: “thirty years after” in Thukral E.G. (ed). Big Dams, Displaced People: River of sarrow, Rivers of change, sage publication, New Delhi. : Phillipe Viegas. 1992.
• Rehabilitation of submerging villages. General report on sardar sarvor- Narmada project, Centre for social studies. Joshi. 1987.
• Land doe not belongs to us- we belong to the land:Minning in Orrisa. William Stanley. 2002.
• Fertility and mortality trends in the Kharia tribals of Orissa, Social change. Salil Basu and Gautam K. Kshtriya.1997
• Government of India. Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy. Ministry of rural development.2007.
• Displacement from coal mining in Orissa prepared for the government of Orissa UNDP/DFID resettlement policy project. Pandey and Balaji. 2005.
• Socio-cultural implication of industrialisation in India: A case study of tribal Bihar. New Delhi. Research programme committe, planning commission. L.P. Vidyarthi. 1970.
• Contact labour in the steel region, Rourkela. Rourkela. Asian workers Development Institute(mimeographed). N. Sengupta. 1968.
• Trapped in the development wrap: the case of the projected affected Parjas of indravati river valley in Orissa, India. Journal of social science. D.K. beheta and S.Patel.1997.
• Environment impact of large reservoir projects on human settlement. A.K. Dalua. 1993.
• Development-vs- Displacement of tribal people in India problem and prospects. Rudra Narayan Mishra.

References:

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