Empowerment of tribals a far cry

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 16. Tribals, led by the Adivasi-Dalit Action Council, propose to intensify their agitation demanding land and employment.

The Government is reluctant to concede their two main demands, but is trying to placate the tribals by offering welfare and development plans. However, this has not satisfied the tribals.

This is the first time that the tribals are organising an agitation on an almost State-wide scale with padayatras and by setting up `refugee camps' in the capital. It was not only the `camps' that were innovative but also the coining of the main demands. They have realised that land and employment would empower them.

The Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, conceded the need for empowering the tribals when he endorsed the suggestion for a national policy on empowering tribals and called for a proactive policy and programme based on the concept at the National Development Council. However, the Government's actions did not match the words.

The new decisions taken by a Collectors' conference convened by the Chief Minister early last week were only to add two more welfare programmes to the number of programmes that have been carried out for the tribals over the past 50 years. They were the formation of a welfare fund and an insurance scheme. The details are yet to be announced. However, it is obvious that these programmes would not address the basic problems of tribals - the lack of livelihood and the consequent starvation and diseases.

The present plight of the tribals itself is proof that the welfare programmes carried out at a heavy cost in the past did not work. Nor is there any chance of their doing wonders now, given the problems in delivery. The experience of the past 50 years has shown that the official machinery would not deliver the goods. Yet, the Government expects the Tribal Development Department to achieve what it could not during the past 50 years.

The Tribal Development Department has a better rapport with the tribals compared to the Forest Department officials. While the Forest Department officials often harassed them over alleged breach of forest laws, the Tribal Development Department reached them free food and clothes and other benefits. They hardly realised that what they received was a trickle of what the Government sanctioned, with the official and contractors cornering the major chunk of assistance. Many tribal development programmes, in fact, were intrinsically aimed at benefiting the bureaucracy and their agents.

The tribals are increasingly realising this. They are now demanding that the proposed masterplan for tribal development be based on allocation of land which cannot be taken away from them. This itself would generate employment for them, and many would not have to seek employment elsewhere. The Government has conceded that they could be provided with a total of 15,000 acres of land. Each family, according to the Government, would get more than one acre. This is for about 11,000 families who are landless. However, the tribals say that at least 55,000 tribal families are landless. They are also demanding five acres for each family.

As to employment, the Government has offered that 90 per cent of the temporary menial jobs under the Forest Department would be reserved for tribals. This measure, however, would not serve to empower them to any significant level. They will be insecure in their temporary jobs and heavily dependent on the mercy of the local Forest officials.

Welfare programmes also develop nothing but dependency. The Government's welfare programmes almost always addressed individuals and not communities, in total disregard to the internal structure of tribal communities. These had the effect of eroding the power of tribal chieftains. The programmes never helped to empower either the tribal communities or individuals. Most of the tribal communities are in such a stage of development that the communities need to be empowered before the empowerment of individuals are attempted.

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