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Akshay |
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In the year 1996, Anchalik Vikas Parishad formed a regional tribal organisation named “Adivasi Kranti Sangathan” to carry out the ground work in a more focussed approach. Uniting people in these areas for taking a stand in creating alternative system of self governance, fighting against ruling and oppressive powers and finding alternative ways and means of satisfying their basic minimum need, has been the futuristic vision of Pany.
Area Profile
Dhenkanal and its adjoining districts were under the feudal rule before independence. This region is rich in its forest and mineral resources. The tribals being forest dwellers settled in these forests after migrating from Singhbhum and Santhal Parganas in search of habitation. The kings during those times settled the tribals to protect the forests from fire and smugglers. Those settlements were then declared as forest villages by the king.
The sangathan…
Adivasi Kranti Sangathan, a people’s organisation, since 1996, has been organizing the tribals to emerge as a liberative force for securing their dignity and self-respect. At its inception the sangathan started with only one panchayat, Maruabili panchayat. Confrontation with timber mafias, chromite mafias and liquor mafias was almost an everyday issue. The non-tribals were the main exploiters and suppressed the tribals. The tribals had no basic amenities till then. They didn’t have BPL cards, so were excluded from the public distribution system. The sangathan spent almost two years in bringing awareness amongst the people. Gradually when some of the local youths volunteered for the sangathan, the mobilization process gained momentum. Presently, it has got a strong base in more than 100 villages from one of the remotest corners of the Dhenkanal district.
Main Issues Taken Up By AKS over the Years
Protecting forests
A recent incident shocked the villagers when they found that the State Forest Department and the Orissa Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) have cut down some 700 healthy and immature trees in the reserve forest in the name of executing working plans of the forest division. The villagers and the karyakartas of the Sangathan then ascertained that the felling of the trees was against the guidelines prescribed in the existing working plan in the Dhenkanal Forest division. When the villagers protested against the illegal tree felling, the forest officials threatened to evict them. A memorandum was sent to the Governor of Orissa by the villagers with the help of the sangathan. A press meet was organised at the District Headquarters where correspondents from all the local newspapers and electronic media were present. Pany and his sangathan have consulted a lawyer of the Supreme Court to intervene at the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which is in the process.
Food Security
Apart from the basic struggle on the issues of livelihood, the team was successful in pressurising the government to resurvey the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Beneficiaries. They found that the BPL (Below Poverty Line) list was faulty and majority of the real beneficiaries were not included in the list and hence not eligible under the PDS scheme. Through people's pressure, a district level resurvey was ordered and later through MLA's pressure a resurvey of the entire BPL list of the Orissa state was ordered. As a continuous struggle, the sangathan has been able to ensure more than 2000 families in getting Antyodaya and Annapurna cards.
Panchayati Raj
The sangathan have been making conscious efforts in exercising people’s socio-political rights in Gram-Sabha and Palli-Sabha. The sangathan have actively participated in the panchayat elections. The sangathan fielded their own candidates and many won. This was done to take control over development funds and implement development schemes effectively. The tribal community never participated in panchayat elections until the 74th Amendment was passed. To ensure that the tribals make their representation during elections, assert their participation during gram sabhas, the sangathan had a greater role to play. At present, there are 4 active karyakartas who have been elected as sarpanch. One of the main karyakarta, Pratap Marandi, who is a tribal is the President of the Sarpanch Sangh. He is also a member of the District Public Distribution System and Child Labour Abolition Committee. Two other karyakartas are in the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee.
Preserving the ethnic diversity Reviving tribal culture is high on the sangathan’s agenda. The sangathan has been taking a proactive role in preserving the tribal culture in the area. They organized different programs in the area to promote tribal traditional dance forms, songs and tribal dramas. It is through the Sangathan’s effort that Olchiki, the script of the Santhal tribes and Warantiki, the script of Munda tribes has been promoted through the establishment of such schools in these areas. Adivasi Kranti Sangathan has taken the initiative by establishing Olchiki schools in 9 tribal villages of the Dhenkanal district in Orissa.
There are 9 such schools functioning in the area which are affiliated to the Board of Santhal Education, Govt. of Orissa. The Board was formed by the initiative of Adivasi Socio Educational and Cultural Association, Orissa. More than 300 students are enrolled in these schools. 10 teachers have been appointed. The teachers are from these local villages itself. Though they have not been into any formal Santhal education, they can read and write in Olchiki. They are being given regular trainings by the Board. The schools run for three days a week (Sunday, Thursday, any other suitable day decided by the teachers and the students) and for four hours a day. The age group of the students is 6 – 20. This year 49 candidates including the teachers have passed the lower examination. The salaries of the teachers and books approved by the Board are being provided by the sangathan and other stationery needed for the school is being borne by the learners and the community. There is also one Warantiki School to restore the script of the Munda tribe. There is no such formal institution for the promotion of this script. It runs with the support of the sangathan and the community. There are 32 students and a teacher in the school.
NREGA
A.K.Pany, is a member of the governing body of DRDA Dhenkanal. A General Body meeting was organised at the District level for planning of possible projects under NREGA. While others prioritized on infrastructure building, communication facility and animal husbandry, etc, Mr. Pany suggested to go for agriculture based works and small irrigations which may be useful in providing sustainable subsistence to the poor tribals and small farmers. This recommendation was highly appreciated and was included in the plan. A block level workshop on proper implementation of NREGA and RTI was organized in which 126 village labour leaders and some of PRI members attended. This year, 500 job cards have been issued in 9 gram panchayats with the sangathan’s initiative.
Land Issue
Lands of the project affected families of Dandadhar water reservoir were regularized after regular intervention of the sangathan. 414 families were displaced during this project, out of which 365 families got their house site patta. Many tribal families did not have record of rights and house site patta. With the sangathan’s effort along with the villagers, more than 2000 families were able to get the house site patta. Their agricultural land also got regularized.
The sangathan mobilized the PRI institutions to defend the proposed amendment of the OSATIP Act. Memorandums along with resolutions of 18 gram palli sabha of Kankadahad block were sent to the Governor of Orissa protesting the decision of the government and the Tribal Advisory Council. Because of such pressure created by such groups in the state, the state government has not been able to amend the act. The sangathan has been quite actively participating in the forest campaign with National Campaign for Survival and Dignity both at the state and the central level.
Migration
Migration has been a perpetual problem in the area. Men, women as well as young boys and girls migrate to nearby towns or outside the state to work as labourers. There they are subject to exploitation by the contractors physically, mentally and economically.
There was a recent case in which a 17year old girl managed to escape from Kerala. A lady broker giving false assurances of employment in a nearby town sent four girls of Kankadahad block to Kerala. They were forced to work for 10-12 hours under a builder and were physically assaulted every evening by the contractor. Among the four girls, this 17 year old managed to escape and reach her village. The sangathan then brought the girl before the District Collector and Superintendent of Police. A memorandum was submitted demanding a high level enquiry of forced migration of labourers, immediate rescue of the other three girls and arrest of the broker. A press meet was organised at the district headquarters under the steering of A.K.Pany. The Sangathan mobilized the media to cover the news. Press releases were distributed to all the prominent newspapers. Correspondents from various electronic media visited the village and released the news. The issue was raised in the State Assembly where the government directed the DM and the SP to take immediate action for the rescue of the girls. The girls were finally rescued and were brought back to the village safely and the broker was also arrested by the police.
Campaign against liquor mafias
To earn large scale of revenue, liquor businessmen from Chattisgarh were provided with license to open and run liquor shops in the Kamakhyanagar subdivision of Dhenkanal district. The intention of these liquor mafias was to monopolise the liquor business and forcibly closing the sell of handia (rice-beer) prepared by the tribals. They also forcibly collected mahua flowers from the tribals and the dalit women at a very low price. The women were the main victims. The local police and the administration posed a deaf ear to the complaints of the villagers. A massive campaign was organised by the sangathan with the support from other sangathans and Bar Association. Many self-help groups of the subdivision irrespective of caste and class joined the campaign demanding the cancellation of the license and a complete ban on the policy decision of the Government of Orissa for the commercialization of Mahua liquor. More than 10,000 people joined in the rally. A public meeting was conducted infront of the sub collector’s office and the road was blocked for five hours. Memorandums were sent to the Chief Minister and Governor of Orissa and also to the District Collector. Village level camps were organised to explain the wrong policy of the government just to enhance the revenue collection. The issue was discussed in the Orissa State Legislative Assembly but the ruling party however didn’t give a satisfying response to this issue.
Student Mobilisation
The sangathan is regularly organizing essay and debate competitions in three colleges of the subdivision. The sangathan is also in regular touch with the students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication at the District Headquarter. Discussions and consistent dialogues are held between the sangathan and the students on different issues. More than hundred students visited the sangathan’s field area for exposure and had long discussions with the people in the villages. They have tried to understand the issues and have shown interest to be with the sangathan.
Health
The sangathan had applied to the District Collector for opening 50 anganwadi centres as per the new guideline that there should be one anganwadi center per 40 tribal children of the age-group 0-6 years. 30 Anganwaadi centres have been set up in Kankadahad block with continuous intervention of the sangathan. The effort is going on to appoint anganwaadi workers from the tribal community.
The Village Health Guides have also been appointed in every tribal hamlet and medicines for common diseases are distributed free of cost.
Challenges Ahead
The naxal issue is gradually creating its strong hold in the dense forests of Kankadahad, the sangathan’s field area. Undoubtedly, it is a big challenge before the sangathan’s democratic process. The naxal terror has brought in fear amongst villagers as they are sandwiched between the naxals and the state administration. Adivasi Kranti Sangathan to preserve the democratic space has been initiating continuous dialogue with the villagers and has been clarifying the identity of the sangathan.
