SUITABLE MERGER??

People are venting their anger over land acquisition in various places.

Tribals and peasants demonstrating against so called "development' projects , ranging from roads to swank factories in SEZ's.The Government puzzled over why the people are resenting projects that are intended for their development..The truth being ,the development is really of the business class and the land mafia!

Here the sentiment of resistance is tapped by the militancy to bring about violent responses.

Earlier non violent protests drew public attention.Now the agitations aim at procuring higher compensation packages, not just money but total packages as offered in Singur to the displaced.

Land acquisitions have helped the scattered Left groups to unite and support the farmers.A kind of symbiotic situation exists.The Left gaining support and in turn the farmer's gaining a support base.

Displacement therefore is binding the tribals and peasants to the Left and to the societies action groups.The common factor being protection from exploitation and the common enemy- the State!

Will an alliance between the Left and the social action groups bring about results? Will an intermingling of volatile responses and peaceful ideologies culminate in the 'ideal solution' that we all are looking for???

30 YEARS LATER, A TRIBAL TRIUMPH

For most people in Jharkhand, the Koel Karo project has been a familiar name since the last three decades.The project was initiated by the then Bihar government in 1973 with the objective of harnessing the Koel and Karo rivers to produce hydroelectric pwer.In 1980, the National hydroelectric corporation(NHPC) was given the task of building dams on the two rivers.Since the announcement of the project it was vehemently opposed by the tribals in Gumla, Ranchi and Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand.They felt the project would submerge a large part of their agricultural land and a number of religious places, especially forest groves calles sarnas that have from ancient times, been considered sacred by the tribals.
Official assessment of the projects scope showed the number showed the number of villages affected to be 42. This was revised to 112.Tribal leaders however claimed that 256 villages would come under the projects submergence area.Also 50,000 acres of forest area and 40,000 acres of agricultural land would be affected besides 300 sarnas,175 churches and 120 mandirs.
Although the govt. offered to resettle the affected villages, the tribals insisted on a total resettlement package. The Koel Karo Jan Sanghatan (formed by the tribals to oppose the project) demanded for resettlement, provided it was total ,social, environmental, religious factors would be considered.They proposed that 2 villages be resettled as a model.If the people were satisfied they would go ahead with the resettlement.However the govt. decided to go ahead with the project.Police were despatched to the area in 1985,. The tribals boycotted the police personnel.They were not allowed to set up their camps and no daily provisions were sold to them..making their daily existance difficult.The project died down.In 1995, PV Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister decided to lay the foundation stone.More than 30,000 people mostly tribals agitated.Police opened fire and 8 people were killed. The stone laying was postponed.The Jan Sanghatan then resolved not to hold any more talks for resellement. the Sanghatan thrives from the 16,000 families, most of whom contribute 100rs. a year for the cause.
In 2005, the govt. scrapped the project.But the Sanghatan vows to spread awareness till the project is officially announced as closed in the gazette.They share their experiences with the Narmada bachao andolan and Singur...
source: The Times of India.
If it happpened in Jharkhand,Bastar is not far away...............

A BOLD STATEMENT

A statement from villagers across the Indravati.As reported the villagers are not being allowed to cross the river since 2yrs.Though the govt. claims otherwise, the state has stopped going to these villages after the start of Salwa Judum.Most of them hve shifted to the camps..The villlagers still living there have made the statement..Will somebody wake up and listen, or are they destined to live in exile in their own land?????

Reproduced from:www.cgnet.in