Industrialization and Development: Discontentment among Tribals in Orissa – Dr. Rajat Kumar Kujur

The need for tribal development in Orissa hardly needs any justification. There are sixty-two tribes inhabiting Orissa. The major tribes of the state are Kondh, Koya, Gadabas, Oraon, Juang, and Santal. As per 2001 census the tribal population of the State of Orissa stands at 8.15 million which constitute 22.13% of the total population of the state. Their decadal growth has declined since 1981 up to 2001 as 22.43%, 22.21%, and 22.13% in 1981, 1991 and 2001 census respectively. The number of tribes that reside in Orissa is the highest anywhere in India. All the districts of Orissa have a tribal population in it. While some regions have huge presence of tribals, some have only a handful of tribals. Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Naurangpur and Malkangiri are few districts where more than half of the population is tribal. The tribal population in the State is overwhelmingly rural, with 94.5% residing in villages.

Orissa that figures predominantly in the list of underdeveloped states in India has been a victim of some ill thought-out development strategy. Despite being a rich state in terms of its mines and minerals and natural resources, Orissa has not made any real progress as far as the development of the state and its people are concerned. Ironically all the mines and mineral rich districts of Orissa are the districts where the majority of residents are tribals. Given the living standard of the tribal communities in those areas of southern and western Orissa one cannot take this massive industrialization and mining activity as the scale to judge the rise in human development indicators among the people. Exploitation, zero healthcare and educational facilities, malnutrition, inhuman torture, rising unemployment, inordinate delay in disposal of land cases, unwillingness to undertake land reforms are the cruel realities which speak to us about the realities of tribal development in Orissa. Statistical figures indicate that in last ten years of industrial madness in the state about 20 lakh people have been directly affected by development projects in varying degrees out of which about 5 lakh have been physically displaced losing their home and hearth from their original habitat. Statistical figures further indicate that while dam/irrigation projects alone have displaced nearly 3.5 lakh people which is roughly 70% of the total displaced persons, industrial projects have displaced about 60,000 people which is 12% of the total displaced whereas the mining projects, urban development projects, thermal projects and wild life sanctuaries have displaced 3.37%, 12.86%, 2.60% and 0.5% of the total displaced people in the State of Orissa. Although the above referred figures account for the already completed projects, there are a host of other projects which are either ongoing or are in the pipeline in which about 2 lakh more people are expected to be displaced. Mining in Orissa has created “an estimated 50,000 environmental refugees,” according to news reports. On the whole, 1.4 million people, mostly adivasis have been displaced by developmental projects in Orissa alone.

Let me start with my home district Sundargarh which has a dominant tribal population of 918903 people with a tribal literacy ratio of 37.34 percent where as the total literacy ratio of the district is 52.97. In recent years, hundreds of sponge iron factories have mushroomed all over in the Naxal-hit district of Sundargarh. Existing environmental laws have been flaunted openly by the industrialists who have no concern for pollution and environment degradation. They have been dumping their waste all over for which most agricultural land of the area has lost their fertility. Local people have witnessed and complained about the polluted air and water being emitted from the plant of Rexon Strips in Kumarkela village of Gurundia Block. The polluting units are emitting ammonia fumes, strong enough to corrode tin sheets and burn paddy and green vegetables, which have become a major threat to life. Thousands of people who live in the villages of Ramabahar, Jampali, Jhagarpur, Bargaon, Vedvyas, Balanda, Kuarmunda, Kalunga, Rajgangpur, Birkera, Koira, Bonai, Tensa, Birmitrapur, Bijabahal, etc. in Sundargarh are suffering from various skin diseases, tuberculosis and other allergies. Similar is the case with people in the Barbil and Joda region of Keonjhar district. Adding agonies to the people the health care system of district is in total dismay. In past few years the state government has spent crores of money, but all in pen and paper, to claim better health care for the people. While in past years the government has taken the land of the poor tribals to establish new industries it has failed miserably to ensure basic health care for the people. As per the government data Sundargarh has 12 doctors per lakh and 33 beds per lakh people. On the other hand the government flaunts Sundargarh as the model district of industrial development.

Rayagada is another tribal district in South Orissa which bears the same signature of extreme poverty, rampant corruption and a chaotic but violent social atmosphere. It has a dominant tribal population and a total of 72.03 percent people in the district are living below poverty line. To outside world the area is known for its backwardness and starvation death. In between 1990-2000, more then 100 crore has been spent, but most of the money went to the pockets of leaders, bureaucrats, contractors, traders etc. State government as part of its development activity started planting eucalyptus and this only helped the J. K. Paper Mill to get cheap raw material. Concrete road was constructed from Tikiri to Kashipur via Maikanch only to welcome the Utkal Alumina Industries Ltd. To sum up, all these so-called development projects no way helped the majority tribal of the region. As such the area is blessed with a huge content of bauxite; 1957.3 lakh ton in Baphli Mali, 810 lakh ton in Sasubahu Mali, 860 lakh ton in Siji Mali near Kasipur. The Utkal Alumina International Limited (a joint enterprise of Aditya Birla Group, and ALCAN, a Canadian company) is constructing an Rs.4500 crore aluminium plant site at Doraguda near Kasipur. The project threatens displacement of over 20,000 people mostly tribal, and would impact rights to life and livelihood across 82 villages. It’s been 12 years from now that the local communities in Rayagada are protesting bauxite mining, condemning the breach of constitutional provisions barring sale or lease of tribal lands without consent. People dissent the devastation of their ecosystems, histories and futures, the destruction of forests, agricultural lands, mountains, perennial water-streams, the water retention capacity of mountains, integral to life and livelihood. So far the government has not been able to come out with an answer to people’s apprehension, instead it is using police methods to suppress peoples voice.

Same is case with another tribal district i.e. Koraput, which has a poverty ratio of 78.65 per cent and the literacy rate is miserable at 36.20 per cent. With a tribal population of 5, 85,830 this district bears the definition of tribal sufferings. Government’s insensitivities towards basic problems of poverty stricken rural tribal are the main cause for the metaphoric naxal growth in Koraput. It is a sad reality in Koraput that the government declared programs never really reach to the people for whom it is really made. It was in March 2000 that the state government made a declaration that the tribal people will have the right to collect minor forest produces. Problem with the so-called development strategy of the government can be ascertained from the fact that the same declaration has not been implemented till date. Government strategy on the development has been mostly limited to lip service only, without really understanding the problem typical to the lifestyle of majority tribal people of Koraput. There is no market for minor forest produces in Koraput as well as tribals don’t even have the access to financial institutions to get loans for investments. It is surprising as well as shocking that how the government has never thought of developing self-help groups for the forest depending communities in Koraput. Koraput has no dearth of mineral deposits, but government’s failure to take a proper approach to utilize these resources in favor of local people has really worsened the situation.

I can go on explaining, it’s the same every where with the tribals in Orissa. It is the cruel reality of the ill thought out development strategy in Orissa that in all of the resettlement operations, the majority of tribals have ended with lower incomes; less land than before; less work opportunities, inferior housing; less access to the resources of the commons such as fuel-wood and fodder; and worse nutrition and physical and mental health. It is the need of the hour that the tribals in Orissa must be included in the process of development. Development can’t be divorced from the population; massive industrialization on tribal land does not ensure tribal development. On the other hand the faulty development formula in Orissa have made tribals the victims of the on going development process. With the changing time and with new models of development there is an urgent need to look in to the tribal problems from a development oriented perspective. When I speak of inclusive development I mean improvement in the quality of tribal life, reduction of incidents of poverty, raising the levels of productivity, removal of illiteracy, elimination of exploitation, supportive infrastructure in tribal areas etc. These words may sound big but are in reality are common sense of any development agenda. With the changing situations one of the long-term needs for tribal development is improvement in their quality of life. Certain basic services like drinking water, health, housing, nutrition, rural roads etc. need to be provided to them. Keeping in view of mad industrialization and mining the ‘Periphery Development Programme” of the industrial units must include this in their agenda. Similarly poverty is the main curse in the cause of tribal development and man made poverty is the worst. Tribals in Orissa today needs to be freed from the clutches of man made poverty. Of late, tribals have been fast losing the areas traditionally under their possession and also the rights to exploit these areas. As more and more tribal lands are being used for the purpose of industrialization there is an urgent need of proper implementation of the Relief and Rehabilitation. Reduction of the incidence of poverty of tribals through raising the levels of productivity and off-season employment is also an important factor for tribal development. Removal of illiteracy holds the key to all the programmes of tribal development. The socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes depends on educational advancement. Education is more than a mere asset for some tribal communities; investment in education is, in a way, crucial for their existence. Government’s industrial policy must also include this also, multinationals and industrial houses do have a responsibility of developing the people and development is just mirage unless people are educated. Because education only can guarantee employment. It’s typical with the tribals in Orissa that they see a host of aliens prosper in their areas and this is a cruel reality which we find it difficult to digest. Development sans people’s participation has always been seen as a breeding ground for political unrest. Government must realize this soon before it becomes too late and Orissa becomes another War zone.

(The writer teaches Political Science in G.M. College, Sambalpur, Orissa)