New Delhi: In a clear message to Maoists,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said no sustained economic
activity is possible under the shadow of gun in tribal areas
where decades of alienation is taking a "dangerous" turn.
He said there has been a "systemic failure" in giving
tribals a stake in the modern economic processes and
emphasised that the "systematic exploitation and social and
economic abuse of our tribal communities can no longer be
tolerated."
Addressing a conference of Chief Ministers and state
Ministers of Tribal Affairs here, Singh said the problems
faced by tribals are complex and require sympathetic
understanding, factoring in different nuances of tribal life.
"The alienation built over decades is now taking a
dangerous turn. We must change our ways of dealing with
tribals. We have to win the battle for their hearts," he said.
"It cannot be said that we dealt sensitively with
these issues in the past. More could be done and more should
be done (for tribals)," he said.
At the same time, he said, "No sustained economic
activity is possible under the shadow of gun. Nor have those
who claim to speak for the tribals offered an alternate
economic path that is viable", in an apparent message to Maoists
who claim to be champions of the tribals' cause.
Underlining that tribals must be the primary
beneficiaries of the development process, the Prime Minister
underlined that the cult of violence would only bring greater
misery to the people.
He made it clear that "violence cannot be tolerated"
and the threat would be countered with determination.
Talking about the problems faced by tribals, Singh said
administrative machinery in some of such areas is "either weak
or virtually non-existent", the "heavy hand of criminal
justice system has become a source of harassment and
exploitation" and over the years, a large number of cases have
been registered against the tribals, "whose traditional rights
were not recognised by earlier forest laws".
He stressed the need for a "more enlightened approach"
towards tribals.
Singh noted that Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
governments have recently withdrawn cases against tribals and
said other states need to review such cases urgently and take
a similar action.
"We need to make a fresh start," he said.
The Prime Minister also referred to the host of issues
related to losses suffered by tribals displaced due to land
acquisition.
"It is not just the displacement and disorientation
caused by separation from the land that is at issue. One can
only imagine the psychological impact of seeing the cutting
down of the very forests that have nurtured the existence of
these communities for centuries," he said.
Singh said resettlement and rehabilitation of tribals
raise serious issues of not just monetary compensation but
also issues of sustainable livelihood, preserving the
traditional sense of community and helping the tribals cope
with the trauma of dislocation and alienation.
"It is clear that we need to reflect on how to improve
the laws and mechanisms through which we provide compensation
to displaced tribals. The tribals must benefit from the
projects for which they have been displaced," the Prime
Minister said.
He said he had written twice to Chief Ministers of all
states on implementation of Forest Rights Act, which envisages
distribution of title deeds to tribals, by the end of this
year.
While some states have achieved remarkable progress in
the distribution of titles, others are lagging behind, Singh
said, lamenting that "in a few states, even the process of
receiving claims is yet to commence."
He described distribution of titles as an "important
and necessary first step" for addressing problems of tribals.
"If implemented in its true spirit, it (the Act) will
provide significant multipliers in the process of development
in some of our critical habitats," Singh said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, November 05, 2009, 00:25