Development:concern for indigenous collective

By Jyoti Sonia Dhan

One would have heard about the recent news about Arcelor Mittal one of the leading industrialists who have proposed the site of Torpa Block of Ranchi in Jharkhand for steel plant with capacity of 12 million tones per annum proposing 12000 acres of land. And thereby protest from leading activist Dayamani Barla. One might also hear of CSR (corporate social responsibility) and their investment of USD 300 million dollars on it, hopefully to make success to green field project.

Mr Remi Boyer VP of Arcelor Mittal some months back stated that the amount (USD 300 million dollars) will be spent under different heads, including health, development, economic activities, socio culture aspects, education and women empowerment.

It is understood that, CSR is only there to acquire land. Where, the inhabitants of the land will reside ; what livelihood they will have , these are the question that, has to be answered. These industries will only absorb the skilled laboureres and right now these are not available in the area. Even if they setup ITI institue how many local people will be abosorb in the plant.

The data spelt by Mr Aseem Srivastav an emiment economics and researcher from Delhi; that, TATA during its early periods had 85000 laboureers in its units and its annual turn over was more than to 4.5 Crores. But, at the present day they have 45000 labourers and the annual turn over is more than 12 Crores. Its clears about the development process whether is absorptive or evacuative.

As far as social responsibility ,it is fine to do as the area needs social welfare but to uproot them from their land is leading people to poverty and migration to another area for livelihood. The inhabitanats mostly the agriculturalist will be left to do nothing then to become the daily wage labourer.

The alternative has to be supported may be the small scale industries which will absorb the local youths by not leading them to jobless; parrallel with the traditional economic practices.

How much it is right to say about the who the people, who will be benfitted from such giant project. The middle class are ones who will be more benefitted besides the company owner, whether to be an emigrant or an local person with good educational qualification. These middle class will also include the people from Indigenous community including the urban Indigenous proceeding towards individual progress in life and one cannot stop them as its concern their bread and butter. One cannot stop them as its also a struggle for competency in all sector.

It is really conflicting as on one hand you have the indigenous being uprooted from their native home land and on the other hand you have the indigenous in those plant for their progress in life proving their competency.

The examples were lying with all the big companies like TATA steel , BSL,HEC in Jharkhand etc. but, when we are concern about the indigenous identity such development activity cannot be promoted in a wholistic manner.

The question still lies among the qualified indigenous both rural and urban, a more specific to urban indigenous how they will respond to such initatives, how they will look into the social responsibility and progress in life. As far as social is concern they have the near and dear ones who will be uprooted and on other hand they have the individual progress in live. The group is opportunistic and many question still continous with ongoing discussion.

There it lies a big concern for the indigenous how much sensitive we are to such issues. Along with it how much sensitization is there , when we are fighting for indigenous right whether to be land and culture.

Really it’s a big concern for indigenous collective when development word is spelt by big giant like TATA and MITTAL.

Jyoti Sonia Dhan
Social worker ;activist