[Reader-list] RTF (Right to Food) Articles - 13

[Rakesh Iyer]

Source: The Hindu

Date: June 20,2003

Link: http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/06/20/stories/2003062000201000.htm

Article:

*The Baiga predicament *

By Mihir Shah

* The challenge is to empower the Adivasi people... so that a development
path is forged under their leadership. *

 IT IS a tragic irony of 50 years of planned development that some of
India's most resource-rich areas are home to its poorest people. Such as the
Dindori district of south-eastern Madhya Pradesh. Most people wouldn't even
have heard of the place as it does not exist on the development map of the
country. Home to one of India's "primitive tribes", the Baigas, it has one
of the richest Sal forests of the country, better known for the Kanha
National Park. The Narmada and Mahanadi originate in the region. Verrier
Elwin, the distinguished anthropologist who advised Jawaharlal Nehru, spent
decades living among and studying the Baigas, while developing his ideas of
tribal society and its possible future.

I was there a few days ago to attend a *jan sunwayi* (public hearing) in my
capacity as adviser to the National Commissioner appointed by the Supreme
Court in the Right to Food case. With me were the economist, Jean Dreze, and
the social thinker, Satish Saberwal. The *sunwayi* was organised by a unique
new institution, the Baiga Mahapanchayat, which is trying to provide a voice
to these unusually silent (literally) and unheard of people. It was held in
a remote forest village, 250 km and 7 hours from Jabalpur, on what is a
rocky road half the way. Some of these roads are not serviced by any kind of
transport facility, public or private, and we made it there with great
difficulty, risking a breakdown at any point.

The Baigas spoke of their desperate living conditions, aggravated by three
successive years of drought. Much of the problem is because these are
"forest villages". Sarpanches from various gram panchayats complained that
they were unable to carry out any kind of development activity in the
absence of formal permission from the Forest Department. Till 40 years ago,
the Baigas were "slash-and-burn" farmers. Once shifting cultivation was
banned, their existence came under threat as no proper alternative was
worked out. Most of them "occupy" land to which they have no unambiguous
legal titles. And even after the passage of the 73rd amendment to the
Constitution and the special PESA law empowering gram sabhas in Adivasi
areas, the panchayats seem powerless here.

Many Baiga women described the impossibility of obtaining foodgrains from
ration shops, as the nearest outlet is at least 10 km away from their
village. There were cases of non-payment of wages to labourers, even after
years. Instances were also reported of irregularities in the mid-day meal
scheme. At times, meals were not provided as teachers did not take regular
classes. Some examples of blatant corruption came to light, such as PDS
kerosene being sold in the open market and bribes asked for the appointment
of anganwadi workers. The most serious complaint was probably that of Baiga
houses being broken down by field staff of the Forest Department.

We questioned the officials who attended the hearing about each complaint.
Following special directions from the Chief Minister, the Additional
Commissioner, the Collector, the Conservator of Forests, the Divisional
Forest Officer, the Inspector-General of Police and the Superintendent of
Police were present. The Collector was not aware that on May 3, 2003, the
Supreme Court, in a landmark interim order in the Right to Food case, made
all primitive tribes automatically eligible for Antyodaya cards. This
entitles them to rice at Rs. 3 per kg. He promised to complete the process
of issuing these cards to each Baiga family by the end of this month. The
district administration, along with the Conservator of Forests, also
undertook to facilitate opening of many more PDS outlets so that there is a
ration shop within a 5 sq km radius of every village. The authorities were
directed to display prominently the orders of the Supreme Court in all the
schools, PDS outlets, gram panchayats and block offices throughout Dindori
district. We were assured that each and every one of the specific complaints
would be redressed within a short period of time. The Baiga Mahapanchayat
will actively engage in follow-up to ensure that this actually takes place.
The pressure exerted by the Supreme Court process will probably help
facilitate its efforts.

The dire predicament of the Baigas, however, remains. While they have
assiduously maintained their cultural identity, their music, norms and
customs, probably more than any other Adivasi community outside of the
north-east, they are constrained to engage with a welter of institutions
erected by the state. None more difficult than the Forest Department, with
whose field officers they have come to share a deeply antagonistic
relationship. But isolationism, however attractive, is no longer an option.
Already in the 1950s, the compassionate Elwin himself rejected it. Today,
with growing market penetration, this is a hopelessly romantic and defeatist
alternative.

Actually, it is hard to imagine an area with greater potential for
sustainable development, building on its natural resources. The region gets
over 1,200 mm of average annual rainfall. The undulating topography affords
excellent opportunities for local rainwater harvesting. There are many
perennial tributaries of the Narmada that offer exciting possibilities for
community-based lift irrigation. The forest is rich with plants of great
economic value. We were told of 12 different varieties of mushrooms. And the
Baigas have a strong tradition of herbal medicine. There has been no dearth
of financial allocations by the State either. In view of their special
constitutional status, a separate Baiga Development Authority has been set
up with an annual budget running into several crores of rupees.

But this money has obviously gone down the drain and only lined the pockets
of various intermediaries. The people remain among the poorest in the
country. Sixty per cent of the district area is cultivated, but of this, in
a land of plentiful water, a mere half-a-per cent is irrigated. The problem
is that for six decades now, we have produced development models and created
institutions without the involvement of the local people at any stage. The
Forest Department fails to acknowledge that without the active engagement of
the Adivasis, it will prove impossible to protect the precious forest
resources of the region.

We estimated that to meet the very basic wood requirements of the Adivasis
for fuel, housing and agricultural implements, it takes less than 5 per cent
of the forest wealth of the region. If this were guaranteed to them as a
right they would actively participate in protecting the forest. But what
prevails even today is the "dictatorship of subordinate officials" as Elwin
described it in a famous article in 1960. Resulting in endless strife
between the Adivasis and the Forest Department.

The challenge is to empower the Adivasi people who constitute 70 per cent of
Dindori district so that a development path is forged under their leadership
to extend the huge natural resource advantage of the area. To enable people
to exercise effective vigil on development programmes and gain rightful
access to their entitlements. To utilise the spaces opened up for them by
the Gram Swaraj legislation. And occupy positions of strength in their
dealings with external markets. Preserving their cultural identity while
doing each of these.

This is certainly a huge ask but a sign of hope in this direction, albeit
incipient, is the emergence of the Baiga Mahapanchayat. Will this fledgling
institution receive the kind of support it requires, so that it can forge
ahead while maintaining its strength and integrity?