Some Aspects On The Development Of The Tribal And Down Trodden People Of Northern Jharkhand
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Sahebgunj and Pakur are the two districts of the state Northern
Jharkhand. The districts are part of the old Santhal Pargana district
of Jharkhand. This is the only region, which is touched by the river
Ganges.
During the British this area was called "Damin-I-koh". The Rajmahal
hill belt has a Santhal & Paharia tribal population. This was the exact
location where the historic Paharia Revolt led by Tilkha Manjhi in 1784
and Santhal Hul led by Sidhu & Kanhu Murmu in 1855 took place. Santhal
Hul, against the middlemen / mahajans being promoted by the British,
celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
The Paharias are said to be the oldest in this area who fled to reside
in the hills when the British brought Santhals, known as best
agriculturists into the area.
The Paharias are of two main groups - Sauria Paharia & Mal Paharia.
Both of them are primitive tribes according to State and their number
and existence is in question.
The Santhals are staying in the plains and have considerable land
compared to the Paharias. Even other socio-economic indicators give
Santhlas a better ranking.
Issues of Environmental Equity
· The whole area of Rajmahal hills is now in the verge of
destruction. The hills are being deforested, blasted and crushed for
the stone to be taken away for road, bridge & dam construction. The
stone known as Black Granite or Pakur stone is Asia's best in terms
of construction material and hence the demand is great.
· The hills and the forests, once an integral part of the life and
culture of these tribals now face total destruction. This is an attack
on the very existence of the tribals as indigenous people whose culture
& livelihood was what the State had committed itself for.
· There is little thought in the minds of the development planners or
the environmentalists or the anthropologists as to what will happen to
the existence of the tribal due to this environmental havoc.
· There are little forests left on the hills now that roads have been
made to make way for the trucks to enter to pick up big loads of
stones. Either they have been cut away or have been destroyed by the
dust particles.
· The environmental pollution acts, factories acts, land tenancy acts
are being violated all to favour the Stone Quarry industry. The tribal
owners of the land & hills in which the minerals are obtained from
receive little benefit.
· On the other hand the stone dusts, the quarries and crushers
expanding from the leased land to further areas, are destroying the
agricultural lands.
· Besides the economic exploitation the tribals face soico-cultural
exploitation. Women are sexually harassed at the workplace and there is
rampant child labour. Also alcoholism has risen in the area, giving
spurt to more criminal activity.
· There is little preventive equipments used at the crusher sites. No
protective wear for the legs, hands, face or nose. Many accidents take
place to which administration pays little attention.
· One of the main health hazard due to this Stone activity is rise in
Tuberculosis / Silicosis cases, besides that of women's health. As
diagnosis for Silicosis involves expenditure (in Kolkata) tribals are
not able to go for it, neither the trade unions are intervening on this
aspect.
· There are incidents of Paharia tribals being killed or Santhal
women worker being raped at these industrial sites. Thus human rights
violations on the tribal have risen with the entering of Stone
industry.
Present Situation of Tribal Women Land Rights
Under the customary laws guiding the tribal communities of Jharkhand
the land does not passes to a girl. A tribal girl has no right to
parental property as she will get married and will go to another
family.
If there are only daughters in a particular family, then the land
passes on to the nearest male cousins. However the girl can own the
land if her marriage takes place in 'Gharjamai' form where the
husband comes to stay at the girl's home for full or certain period.
During such marriages the whole village participates and the couple
walks around their land in a procession to mark it. In this way the
villagers comes to know that the boy is going to stay as a
'Gharjamai', and is going to own the land for all purposes of
habitat & cultivation along with the girl.
But this form of land ownership by the girl is not being permitted in
recent days. The paternal uncles & cousins don't allow the
'Gharjamai' to own land. There are many cases coming to light and
reaching the court.
If a tribal girl doesn't marries, or is deserted by her husband then
she gets a part of land, only for her survival as a part of the
customary law. But again, this form of land ownership of a girl is now
being denied. There are cases where cousin brother or uncle or other
male relatives forcibly ousted a widow or married daughter from the
land. Such women are termed 'Witch' by the village community and
are subjected to verbal and physical abuses.
The tribal girls are hence subjected to human rights violations with
denial of land & property rights as the basis of such violations. While
the tribal leaders & the customary laws claim to protect the interests
of the girls, this is not evident in reality. More & more cases of
violations are reaching the court. This is apart from the cases that
remain unreported.
There is a need to bring to the mainstream dialogue this whole issue of
tribal women's right to parental property & land and the violations
occurring at the ground. Such dialogue / consultation process will lead
to
· Codification of the Tribal Customary Laws in respect of Women's
Property Rights.
· Codification of the Tribal Customary Laws in respect of Women's
Rights on Agriculture Land.
· Cause revelation for all violations occurring to Women's Right on
Land & Property.
· Suggestions for Policy Changes / Change in Law so that Women Rights
are not denied.
Role of some local NGO in this aspect
In Jharkhand the work on prevent Trafficking is being carried out by
various organizations and networks in the name of child trafficking,
workers migration, HIV, false marriages and women sexual exploitation.
There are some observations regarding the undergoing processes
· There is a tendency to look at all migration for economic reasons
to be equivalent to trafficking. Inter-relations between the two should
never be undermined but to look towards all migration as such will
prevent workers mobility.
· There is a tendency to look at all marriages outside the state as
equivalent to trafficking. Such marriages have taken place towards UP &
other Northern states. While to prevent false marriages this caution is
essential. It may also prevent human relations building process of
interacting which considers little for state, cultural & religious
boundaries.
· The reality is that the inhabitants of a particular state
(Jharkhand) may have relations in other states. While inhabitants of a
state have been residing in that state for one to many generations
their relatives might have preferred to move to a different town in a
different state in due course of economic history. It is in such a
historical process that the Marwaris, Parsis & Keralites have settled
in Jharkhand. And same for the Biharis (which include Jharkhandis) who
have settled in big industrial towns of North-Western belt like Bombay,
Surat, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Delhi, Meerut & Saharanpur.
· Moving to a different place brings in insecurity in all human
beings but is essential in the new socio-economic world when we are
talking of inter-cultural bonds and globalization of labor. These
global changes are going to bring in upheavals in our societies, which
have strong socio-cultural bonds. Also the tendencies of exploitation
by the capitalist feudal individuals & communities are not going to
stop. This process has been a part of the historical evolution of human
civilization.
· It is for this reason that all cultural communities tend to cluster
in a certain area when they migrate to big industrial towns (Biharis,
Bengalis, Tribal populations of Jharkhand). This unity brings in more
security and strength for contracting when the whole community is
involved.
· At the level of community institutions like gram sabha, mahila
mandals & panchayats need to be strengthened. This will enhance caution
to any movement to other place and the work exploitation at the
grassroots' level. Also the local administration should also look
into the proper implementation of Inter State Migration Rules. Record
of all such movement to other place should be maintained.
· Local groups working on it usually see the issue of Trafficking
symptomatically. But it has to be seen in a wider context of
Globalization and changes in economic scenario. The growing poverty of
the subaltern communities is a reality that is one of the main causes
of Trafficking.
· Globalization has shown its bad face in relation to subaltern
communities. The poor have become poorer and the state has no concern
for welfare or human rights for all. Community control over resources
has decreased and the Capitalists have gained. This globalization has
on one hand brought women in the midst of market economy to take
responsibilities in higher corporate posts while on the other it has
marginalized the women engaged in the agricultural-forestry sector. The
atrocities on these marginalized women have increased and they face
exploitation - sexually and in work situations.
· The Subalterns (tribal, dalit, and women) have been in the
forefront of Jharkhand movement. They have been not only a culturally
undermined but also economically deprived. It is this economic
deprivation & loss of control over resources that has led them to
migrate to bigger towns where they are ready to work as cheap labor.
This story is same in Jharkhand too where the tribal are ready to sell
themselves for cheap labor. Also they ignore all human rights
violations against them as part & parcel of their destiny.
SAHELI ADHYAN KENDRA: EFFORT OF AN NGO TOWARDS THE SOLUTION
· Evolution
The issues of equity & rights being raised on broader platforms all
across the country encouraged a few Sociologists, Health Experts and
Cultural Activists to come together to study the tribal society in
deeper forms. After five years of organic study an intervention was
felt. SAHELI ADHYAYAN KENDRA evolved in this process of coming together
of activists to critically analyse, reflect and act from within the
society in 2001. The issue of women's status and rights in the
society was central points, which lead to the formation of this
Women's Centre for Study & Action.
· Objectives
1. To study, reflect & act on issues concerning women.
2. To study & build working class consciousness especially on issues
concerning women workers.
3. To work for community's empowerment & control over resources.
4. To promote a progressive culture based on human rights & equity.
· Area of Work
Saheli Adhyan Kendra has made Sahebganj, Pakur, Godda & Dumka
(Jharkhand) that is historically known as Rajmahal hills Damin I'Koh
belt, with Santhal, Sauria Paharia & Mal Paharia tribal population,
along with major Muslim and Dalit population, as its major focus area.
· The Team
Saheli Adhyan Kendra is primarily a women's organisation with major
decision making role in the organisation. The working team is gender
sensitive and comes from both middle and lower class, with a tribal
majority. Team members work as organic researchers and share and
reflect within the organisational process.
· Violence Against Women
The central point of Saheli Adhyan Kendra is Human Rights for Women. It
is in this framework that Saheli Adhyan Kendra looks at all issues from
a women's perspective.
1. Women in the area have been denied of land rights which are
witnessed in the form of witch incidents. The gender just tribal
society is also under pressure from the patriarchy of globalization.
2. Migration in search for livelihood earning has led to trafficking of
men, women and children.
3. Sexual Exploitation has become a part of daily life for the women
workers with the growth of stone industry.
4. Rape, domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies and subsequent
abortions have made life hell for women.
5. Women are losing their sources of livelihood with control of
resources shifting to government and industry.
· Shramjeevi Abhiyan Samiti
Globalization and new capitalistic economic policies have led to more
poverty and desperation amongst the masses. They are divided on tribe,
caste, religion and gender lines. Women's work is also denied
recognition in the society.
· Shramjeevi Abhiyan Samiti is a labour rights campaign committee
initiated by Saheli Adhyan Kendra. Shramjeevi Abhiyan Samiti tries to
bring about a unity amongst the whole working class. It also tries to
draw linkage between various social problems and the ownership, control
& management of resources. Shramjeevi Abhiyan Samiti has a major focus
on rights of forest workers, small mines workers and women workers.
· Cultural Expression
>From the very inception, the issues of cultural identity & traditions
have been a primary one for Saheli Adhyan Kendra. While on one hand it
is the cultural uniqueness, which brings about the whole beauty in life
(and the very ground on which the Jharkhand movement took place), on
the other hand it is this very culture, which restricts women in all
communities & is unjust at times.
Saheli Adhyan Kendra has a Cultural Communication team which helps in
better dialogue & thought initiation on issues relating to women,
communalism, labour and equity.
· Children & Health Issues
Saheli Adhyan Kendra has taken up the task to intervene on issues
concerning mother's health, immunisation, child education,
exploitation of children & adolescent girls at worksites. Broader
policy level advocacy on education & health for all, health facilities,
immunization & malaria is being carried out.
· Alliances
1. Women - With Jharkhand Women's Network (JWN), Jharkhand Anti
Trafficking Network (JATN), Jharkhand Ulgulan Mahila Manch, Mahila
Sabha, National Alliance Of Women (NAWO)
2. Children - With Campaign for Right to Education in Jharkhand
(CREJ)
3. Community Health - With Healthwatch, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan
4. Resource Control & Human Rights - With National Forum of Forest
People & Forest Workers (NFFPFW), Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination
Committee (JMACC), Abhiyan, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), Consult
on Women & Land Rights (CWLR)