PROHIBITION: WHO WILL PROVIDE MORAL PERSUASION?N

While walking to the neighbouring village in the fading sunlight and decreasing temperature, I came across two person happily sitting in the middle of the road happily chatting away. The cycle is parked a few feet away. As I came nearer, I could see that they were drinking merrily. A bottle of beer was kept at a reachable distance with few plastic glasses already littered.  I was forced to stop for a while beside them to look at if they would know me or I would know them. Were they tribes or non-tribes? Why were they drinking like this? I was curious. They were quite embarrassed but not sorry for what they were doing without remorse. They were two tribal youths from a near by village. They said that after a hard-day's work as masons, they would need some relaxation. Middle of the road and the silence of the dusk were the most befitting location - more than the privacy of the home or the inquisitive eyes of the fellow villagers. I was angry though knowing fully well that I have no moral authority to ask questions about their seeking pleasure and the decision to spend day's income on a bottle of a liquor.I shouted at them and advised them to go home before they were fully drunk. They admitted their mistakes and promised me not repeat this again though I knew that I won't be surprised to see them at the same spot next evening. These two youths are not alone as the tribal youths of this generation are more addicted than ever! But who is to blame?

Many questions came to my mind about the Excise Policy of the Government and the response of the tribals. While it has been accepted that drinking is part of the tribal customs and cultural manifestations, right to brew liquor is no longer is legal. The liquor market has a deep penetration into the tribal hinter land with various types of products like country liquor in pouches, spurious liquor in plastic bags, Indian-made Foreign Liquor in coloured bottles and many kinds brands.  The Government is planning incessantly how to raise the revenues with liberal liquor licensing. There is not an iota of doubt in the minds of our legislatures and policy-makers whether promotion of liquor is a boon or bane in the tribal areas.

How anti-liquor campaign is going through ups and downs is a matter of history. In the thick of Gandhian movements in the post-Independence period, many eminent leaders have launched anti-liquor campaigns and have sadly lost and have already gone to the grave. In the early 90s, late Biju Patnaik yielded to the demands of the tribal women leaders and enforced prohibition. Late Biju Patnaik was a true Statesman who could measure the pulses of the tribals and was unique. Same thing can not be said of the next generation of the politicians including his son. Undoubtedly , the current liquor policy of the tribals is anti-tribal as it does not allow them to brew their own liquor. The Maoists are currently against this policy but what is significant is that the tribal women who are struggling for their lives and livelihoods are spearing the anti-liquor campaigns all over.

The Liquor Policy needs a wide debate and it is time that the government wakes up to the reality. The Liquor has been one of the causes of tribal underdevelopment and poverty. the debt-trap is easy from which the tribals seldom get out. The domestic violence in the tribal household is wide-spread. What is needed at the moment  is a moral persuasion and a sensitive policy framework in favour of prohibition.  

 

SEARCH FOR METHODS

This search is on since last 30 years - what is the meaning of true development for the tribals? Is the Tribal Development and Tribal Area development are synonymous? Who defines the development? In this process, what are the roles of the communities, the Panchayats, the Civil Societies and the State?   Perhaps more than the conflicts, there are far greater areas of collaboration among these actors.

The other day, I went to a village Silapas in Kodipari GP of Kashipur Block in Rayagada Dist., Odisha State  where children have died in an epidemic of Measles. The villages is located among the rolling hills and in absence of a pucca road, it remains cut off most of the time of the year. Silapas is nearly 25kms from the Block Headquarters and 10kms from the Panchayat Headquarters. This has resulted in non-delivery of basic services  related to education,health, nutrition, drinking water, employment and , above all, livelihood. The surrounding hills are quite denuded due to heavy practice of shifting cultivation. Some cashew plantations have come up in the hill-slopes indicating the interest people have in protecting such plantations. No wonder, cashew plantations are now most profitable to the tribals these days despite having wide-spread exploitation of the middlemen. The other day, one expert was telling me that cashew from Koraput area is fetching good price in comparison to the cashew from coastal plains. The reasons are many: 1) It is organic by default, 2) It has less salt content adding to the taste, c) better self-life. All these cashew nuts are exported to Nagpur for further processing and marketing. But why Silapas looks so much Poverty-stricken and deprived? The Jhodia communities in the village have been derecognised as tribals in 90s due to the evil designs of the state and corporate to acquire their land. Great injustice has been committed against the Jhodia leading to a lot of unrest and resentment. As the Jhodias have lost their status, this village Silapas has not enough voice if the school teacher is not coming or the ANM is not immunising. Life has been going on there without the support of the State. The bauxite mining in near by Baphlimalai will invite further disaster to them. This is the lurking fear felt very intensely.

This year's death of children on account of measles has added to the new dimension to Kashipur's lomg history of mortality and morbidity. Kashipur has got a place in the hunger atlas. It has a prominent place in the epidemiological map where cholera has been occurring year after year. The current  industrialisation is bringing more hardship and pollution to the area. It is matter of time that villages like Silapas will be wiped out from the history and geography.

Hence, it is a great challenge for the community surviving on the edge; the Panchayats which have a say in the development planning; the State which has a responsibility towards its one citizens and civil society which takes side with the communities.   There are many possibilities for effective collaboration so that all the entitlements are ensures in Silapas village. All children go to school and are immunised. Under MGNREGS, the communities go for for land development and plantation in the hill-slopes. The National Horticulture Mission gives inputs for development of horticulture. The rain-fed agriculture will ensure food security by growing millets, pulses, oil-seeds and vegetables. The soil fertility is enhanced by suitable agronomical practices. The NGO/CSO helps the communities to develop self-managed institutions and ensures right kind of training and capacity building. But who will initiate this thing? The communities must assert themselves and express themselves by set of demands. The supply will automatically follow from the top if the administration is sensitive and responsive. I am sure Silapas will show the way by changing the pattern of mortality and morbidity.   

    

PRIME MINISTER'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWS-WILL THEY DELIVER?

here has been quite a bit of news and excitement about the Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows recently appointed by selecting young professionals from top Professionals Institutions like IITs, IIMs, TISS and others. It is a welcome idea that large number of professionals have been attracted to be such Fellows. It is to be seen if they will deliver what is expected out of them, especially while working in  the districts affected by Left Wing Extremism. I wish them all success but the History of such ideas and experiments have failed globally and we should have deeper analysis of them.

The critics of the PMRDFS have already started asking questions as follows:

1. Whether these Professionals are really motivated to work in LWE Districts or are attracted by the salaries and perks? How will they reinvigorate the sagging spirit of the demoralised development administration?
   
2. Whether these Professionals will be exulted assistants to the District Collectors deeply  engaged in report writings and analysing statistics or will be courageous enough to be among the tribal communities?
3. Whether these professionals will have a human face and an ideological understanding of the structural situation on the ground?
4. Whether these young fellows distinguish the difference between the paddy and ragi, between ethnicity and acculturation and between indigenous values and so called modern development?
5. What is the commitment of these Professionals? How many of them will remain when chips are down or there is an offer of a better career?

I want to underscore that the Global Financial Crisis and Global Food Crisis are caused directly and indirectly by the elders of this fraternity of hard core professionals with their branded  ties and suits    as the Banks and Agi-business farms are managed by top professionals from IIMs and Harvard Business Schools. Please don;t forget this. The rich countries have subsiidised trillions of dollars of Public Money to keep these institutions of Profit alive and the pay package of these professionals in tact.
Year back, there was a radical  thinking in the 7th Five year Plan that the key to Rural Development is the Organisation of Rural Poor(ORP) and it was envisaged that Social Animators and Rural Volunteers selected from the rural communities with BAREFOOT skills and understandings  in large numbers would transform the Rural Areas and bring in self-managed institutions. Had it been pursued seriously , we won't have faced  Left Wing Extremism today not there won;t have been any need of these top notch professionals sponsored by those who believe that development will trickle down from top.

I shall be happy if someone will prove me wrong.

Reviving My Blog

After Sept 2009, I haven't tried to use my Blog though so many things have happened in the mean time. There is an urge to write on many issues , both personal and professional and get them across to my friends and critics.I also need feed back on whatever I write.