Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 4, 2009
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PMs-snub-to-Maoists-Guns-dont-ensure-development-of-tribals/articleshow/5195740.cms
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.
"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," he said 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governments have recently withdrawn cases against tribals and said other states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.
