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Arvind Anjum |
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Profile
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Together with a group of friends and local activists Arvind went about organising the people leading to the formation of the Visthapit Mukti Vahini (VMV) in 1987. SRUTI has been supporting Arvind since April 1999.
Arvind is one of the leader members for formation of National Coordination of Democratic Front (NCDF) last year with the help of a bicycle rally which covered more than 2000 kms across the country. The rally was an important tool for building a network of people’s movements. More than 30 sangathans across India are members of NCDF today.
Visthapit Mukti Vahini (VMV)
The strength of the Sangathan is voluntary both physical and monitory involvement of the villagers. Most of the activities are being carried out without any external monitory support. Almost 50% of the sangathan’s expenditure is being met by the local contribution generating from the region. Donation of 3-4 acres of personal land by Kapoor Baghi (a senior member of the core group) to the sangathan for construction of a school imparting alternative education to Santhal children and also housing the residential office of the sangathan is best example of people’s participation
Endevours of VMV –
Education
Forest Conservation
Livelihood
Land Struggle
Resettlement
VMV has ensured its continuous presence with the masses through its active alliance with other groups like Mahila Mukti Vahini, Sanyukt Van Raksha Vahini, Jharkhand Mukti Vahini, Chattra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini and Jan Mukti Vahini within the state. The sangathan is also networking with other groups/sangathan viz. Dalit Mukti Morcha in Chattisgarh, Jan Sanskriti in Bengal, Dilli Shramik Sangathan in Delhi, Orissa Jan Sangharsh Morcha in Orissa for larger issues like employment and right of people over natural livelihood resources.
Areas Profile
East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum district have a sizeable tribal population consisting of Santhals, Birhor, Paharia and Sadan tribes. The sangathan is working in East Singhbhum and 2 Blocks (Chandil and Kharsawan) of West Singhbhum which is home to atleast 33% of the total tribal population in the area. With the influx of non-jharkhandis into the area, various social tensions have arisen. Being a mineral rich area, rapid (mostly illegal) industrialisation is taking place, threatening the very survival of thousands of tribals and other marginalised sections. The Suvarnarekha dam is one such project. VMV has been struggling for proper implementation of rehabilitation policy since 1986.
Sobren Smriti Shikshapeeth – Education centre
Chandil and Kharsawan blocks area have a poor literacy rate. Illiteracy rate is 67% and displacement due to the construction of the dam has further deteriorated the situation. Considering the educational need of the displaced children, an alternative educational centre namely “Sobren Samriti Shikshapeeth” is being run and managed by the sangathan. 50-60 santhal children are being educated uptill primary level with a curriculum suited to their background. Donations in cash and kind from the sympathizers of the sangathan are used for maintenance of the education center. Training cum residential centre of VMV called “Mitan Jumid” was constructed with a total expenditure of Rupees 1.2 lakhs out of which 80% was the local contribution. This is also being used for perspective building trainings of youth from different villages.
Land Struggle against Industries
This state is rich in mineral resources and accounts for nearly 35% of total mineral deposits. River Subarnrekha is famous for gold whereas river Damodar is for Coal deposits. It has deposits of copper, iron, manganese, bauxite, mica, uranium etc. Coal India Limited (CIL) is one of the largest coal companies of the world and much of its activities take place in Jharkhand. Considering the mining prospects in the state, during the 2nd phase of BJP rule in the state, the Chief Minister (Arjun Munda) has signed more than 50 M.O.Us in 2005 with business tycoons like Jindals, Mittals, Tatas, Essars, Bhushan etc. There is an investment proposal of Rs. 2.5 lakh crores in the state leading to displacement of families from 50 thousand acres of land. Two M.O.Us are signed with Jindals for construction of plants at Chandil itself. 11 thousand acres of land is required for the same. State development is being linked with industrial growth at single crop land. Threats for displacement of villages are very high as most of the land under tribal area fall under single crop land.
Couple of Jindals steel plants was proposed for construction at Sangathan’s work area, forcing displacement of 12 villages. The Sangathan has organized massive protest in July’ 2005, resulting in postponement of the pre-construction activities for establishment of plants. Other protests were also held in other areas against the foundation stone laying ceremonies by Tata and Jindal steel plants. The Year 2006 witnessed several protests and lobbying against establishment of steel mining and manufacturing plants.
Several small scale units/factories of sponge iron have cropped up in the sangathan’s work area. These units are adding to air and soil pollution. Help of environment experts is being taken for assessing the damage. A memorandum was given to the state pollution control board after a protest against the same. The sangathan collected information about the sponge iron units in the state and the status of environmental clearance regarding the same. The villagers have complained about the damage of Lac (shellac) crop due to air pollution by these units. The Sangathan is pursuing the case with National Lac Research Institute at Ranchi. 2 Sponge iron plants namely Binni Sponge Iron Company and Kohinoor Iron and Steel Plant have been shut down due to protest from villages in their vicinity. Two more plants are facing the heat.
Land rights in the region are governed by the “Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act”. Under the provisions of the act no purchase or sale of land can be carried out. Tribals need to seek permission from the District Collector (DC) even for donating their land. DC has the authority to transfer the land for larger public interest only. Land rights and livelihood opportunities are under persistent threat due to the influx of non-Jharkhandis in the area. A huge segment of land is encroached by the land mafia (hotel owners and moneyed people from cities) which has started illegal construction on this land adjacent to the N.H.33 linking Ranchi, the capital of the state to Jamshedpur(an important Industrial town) on the stretch between Jamshedpur and Chandil. The land comes under the Schedule V area therefore in an attempt to stop the construction and to get back the lost land “Bhoomi Mukti Sangharsh Samiti” was formed. The Samiti has supported the tribals who were fighting a legal battle to free 30 acres of their land in Tuidungree village of Chandil block. Bhoomi Mukti Sangharsh Samiti was dissolved in year 2004 and all the activities of land rights of tribals are brought under the banner of Jharkhand Mukti Vahini.
Houses belonging to the Pahadiya tribes were erased by the encroachers. The land rights were re-established by the sangathan after a fierce struggle with the land mafia in December 2006. The struggle against land encroachment is an on going struggle for the sangathan.
In a glaring example of nepotism and moral bankruptcy the water reservoir of the Chandil dam was being commercially used by Malkhan Singh, erstwhile Member of Parliament from the area, rather than offering alternative livelihood to the displaced families. The sangathan opposed the control of the former MP on the reservoir since 2002 as it was depriving the displaced families from the right to livelihood. The sangathan has formed a cooperative of these families in Sept. 2005. The name of the cooperative is “Chandil Bandh Visthpit Matasyajeevi Swavlambi Sahkari Samiti” and it has 293 members. The cooperative had bid for the tender of commercial boating and fishing and got the rights in 2006 through a lease deposit of Rs.3.73 lakhs. Control over 22 motor boats that were earlier in use, has been taken after overcoming several legal hurdles but they are of no use as their motors are damaged by the vested group. The cooperative is trying to raise money for purchase of new motor boats to start earning after a tiring struggle. Annual profits from boating are approx. Rs.3 lakhs
The situation of the people displaced is pathetic. They have no access to basic amenities – no schools, no roads, no hospitals and no ration cards, drinking water etc. The government has stopped all developmental work in the submergence area after the Section 4 notification. On record schools have been shifted to non-existent\non –habited resettlement sites. Half the displaced people have not been issued BPL cards. The compensation which was paid to some of the displaced families was not only inadequate in rebuilding their lives but they did not even get 20% of what they lost. The sangathan pressurized the Bihar state government to make a separate rehabilitation policy for Chandil dam displaced families in December 1990.
Number of beneficiaries of displacement was increased by the efforts of sangathan. Males above 18 years of age were also included in the beneficiaries in the rehabilitation policy. Rehabilitation package of Rs.1.87 lakhs for each dam displaced families was announced that benefited an approximately 5000 families. 2200 individuals got jobs in different government departments. Displacement of 32 forest villages due to proposed expansion of forest was stopped by the sangathan. The expansion was proposed due to some land dispute in the forest and irrigation departments. There is no action or news about displacement of villages after a strong protest rally held by villagers at DMs office in August 2005
Forests in Jharkhand extend over 23605 sq.kms. representing 29.61 % of the total geographical area of the State, of which 82 % are Protected Forest and 17.5 % are Reserve Forest with a small amount of unclassified forests ( 33.49 sq.km. ). East and West Singhbhum have a forest cover of 31% of total land area. The rich forest cover is depleting due to regular threat from the timber mafia.
People have formed Forest Protection Committees (FPC) in various villages in sangathan’s work area to protect the forest in the vicinity of their villages. The FPCs are operational in 14 villages since 1990 and are protecting forests and regulating its use by the villagers. Forest protection has been very successful as 80 sq. kms. of forest is protected by the sangathan that is providing natural livelihood resources to 22 villages.
Due to continuous efforts of VMV, the village committees from 22 villages in 5 blocks are associated with Joint Forest Protection Committee known as- Sanyukta Van Raksha Vahini. Dalma elephant reserve is adjacent to the sangathan’s work area and increase in the forest size has also given rise to attacks of elephants on villagers. The villages which were inaccessible to the elephants earlier have now come within their reach.
