PM says systemic failure in giving tribals a stake in modern economic processes

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the two-day Conference of Chief Ministers and State Ministers (Forest/Tribal Development) to review the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and tribal development/welfare programmes in New Delhi on November 04, 2009. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Kantilal Bhuria, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge), Jairam Ramesh and Minister of State of Tribal Affairs, Tusharbhai Chaudhary are also seen.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said there had been a systemic failure in giving tribals in India a stake in the modern economic processes that inexorably intruded into their living spaces.

"The alienation built over decades is now taking a dangerous turn in some parts of our country," he said in his inaugural address at the Conference of Chief Ministers on the Implementation of the Forests Right Act, 2006 here.

The conference, organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is also being attended by State Ministers of Tribal Affairs, Social Welfare and Forests and will review the implementation of the major tribal development and welfare programmes.

"The systematic exploitation and social and economic abuse of our tribal communities can no longer be tolerated," Dr Singh observed.

He said the fact was that no sustained activity was possible under the shadow of the gun and nor had those who claim to speak for the tribals offered an alternative economic or social path that is viable.

"The cult of violence will only bring greater misery to the common people. We have to counter this threat with determination. While violence cannot be tolerated, the tribals must be the primary beneficiaries of the development process. We have to win the battle for their hearts and their minds," he said.

The Prime Minister said the development of tribal areas and improvement in the economic and social condition of the tribal populations was fundamentally linked to our concept of inclusive growth.

He said there could not be equitable growth without guaranteeing the legitimate rights of these eventually marginalized and isolated sections of society.

"In a broader sense we need to empower our tribal communities with the means to determine their own destinies, their livelihood, their security and above all their dignity and self-respect as equal citizens of our country, as equal participants in the processes of social and economic development," he remarked.

According to Dr Singh, the Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006, has provided for a legally enforceable way of guaranteeing rights to forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and others who have lived in the forests for centuries, but whose contribution to their protection was not acknowledged or recognized earlier. It also lays down duties for conservation and protection of biodiversity, ecological balance and wildlife resource.

He recalled that President Pratibha Patil had, in her address to Parliament on June 4, had called for the completion of the process of distribution of title deeds under the Forest Rights Act by the end of this year.

He said he had written to all Chief Ministers on two occasions on this subject urging them to speed up the process so that it could be completed in time. While some States have achieved remarkable progress in the distribution of titles, others are lagging behind. In a few States, even the process of receiving claims is yet to commence. This cannot be considered as an acceptable situation, he said.

Dr Singh, therefore, urged all the Chief Ministers and their colleagues to spare no effort to ensure effective implementation of the Act and expeditious distribution of titles well within the given timeframe.

"The distribution of titles is but an important and necessary first step. The Act recognizes the symbiotic relationship between the forest and the forest dweller. It attempts to deal holistically with the issue in terms not only of the recognition of rights but of livelihood opportunities and environmental protection and conservation. If implemented in its true spirit this Act will provide significant multipliers in the processes of economic development in some of our critical habitats," he emphasised.

The Prime Minister said those whose lives were dependent on the forests should be made essential partners in the processes of natural resource planning, conservation and protection.

In this context, he emphasised the importance of implementing in letter and in spirit the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act.

He said the livelihood concerns of the forest dwellers should be central to the development agenda in these areas.

According to him, the Government had to work on many fronts simultaneously and it was important to dovetail all development and welfare programmes in tribal areas so that the strategy was coherent, all embracing and there was a coordinated approach involving all departments.

"Education and health need priority attention. It is equally important to pay adequate attention to improve agricultural productivity of tribal lands," he said.

Dr Singh said the lack of quality education and vocational opportunities for tribals needed immediate attention.

He said the infrastructure in the residential schools for tribal children and in hostels was mostly inadequate. Scholarships were also given piecemeal and did not enable a student to complete his or her education in time, he said, urging the Tribal Affairs Ministry to come forward with concrete proposals that addressed these concerns.

He felt the the Skill Development Mission needed to take a special look at how skill development training could be enhanced in all tribal areas.

"Resources will have to be found and it is indeed small recompense for the neglect of the past. We must change our ways of dealing with the tribal affairs," he said.

He said there were a host of issues related to the losses suffered by tribals displaced as a result of acquisition of land for various purposes.

"It cannot be said that we have dealt sensitively and with concern with these issues in the past. 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 vast very forests that have nurtured the existence of these communities for centuries," he pointed out.

Dr Singh said there was need to reflect on how to improve the laws and mechanisms through which compensation was provided to displaced tribal persons.

"More could be done, more should be done. The tribals must benefit from the projects for which they have been displaced," he observed.

He said resettlement and rehabilitation raised serious issues not just of monetary compensation. He said issues relating to creating sustainable livelihoods, preserving the traditional sense of community and helping the tribals cope with the trauma of dislocation and alienation needed to be addressed.

He noted that the Mungekar Committee on Inter-Sectoral Issues relating to Tribal Development had made several important recommendations pertaining to standards of public administration and governance in Scheduled tribal areas. He urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to examine these recommendations with speed.

The Prime Minister said the administrative machinery in some of the tribal areas was either very weak or virtually non-existent.

"Creating the right infrastructure is a key issue. But I would like to emphasise the importance of posting committed and competent officers in tribal areas. The States should consider offering strong incentives like hardship allowances, special housing and educational facilities or grants for officers who stay in tribal areas," he suggested.

Dr Singh also mentioned the fact that, over the years, a large number of cases had been registered against the tribals, giving rise to a good deal of harassment to those whose traditional rights were not recognised by earlier forest laws.

"The heavy hand of the criminal justice system has become a source of harassment and exploitation. Therefore, we need to take a more enlightened approach in line with current thinking on how to deal with such issues," he said.

He noted that the Jharkhand Government had recently withdrawn over one lakh such cases. The Government of Madhya Pradesh had also done something similar in the past. He said States needed to review such cases urgently and take similar action as appropriate, emphasising the need for a fresh start in this area.

He said he was happy that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was evolving a consensus on a National Tribal Policy.

"The problems faced by our tribal communities are complex and they require sympathetic and systematic understanding. The policy should factor in the different nuances of tribal life as they exist in several parts of our great country. I would suggest that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs engage in wide public consultation so that the document that emerges after a meaningful debate on the many issues involved would be broadly acceptable to the people at large," he added.

NNN