The Speaker of AP Legislative Assembly, Sri.Nadendla Manohar, deserves to be complimented,, for out of the mill and purposeful initiative taken by him, for organizing Three Day Orientation Programme in the Agency Area of Visakhapatnam, for the first time Legislators. The object of the programme, with the focus for Legislators to understand and acquaint with the problems confronting Tribals in the Agency Areas is laudable and very much the need of the hour.
Root Cause of Problems
The root cause of the problems of Tribals, is lack of knowledge / awareness about their basic rights / entitlements, partly attributable to illiteracy. It is aggravated by the lack of Good Government Delivery System at Grass-Roots Levels of Tribal Villages and Mandals, which is responsive, transparent, and accountable for achieving the physical targets of well intended Schemes and Programmes.
There does not seem to be proper direction, supervision, control and monitoring of the performance of VROs, MROs and MDOs, who are the key functionaries of the Delivery System at ground level. Because of political patronage, these key functionaries at grass roots levels seem to have become a law onto them, amounting to a mini parallel government, practically ignoring the writ of higher officials at Divisional and District levels, with impunity.
The District and State Administrations seem to be preoccupied with collecting and compiling data, justifying the utilization of funds drawn against the State and Central Government Programmes and Schemes, rather than supervising, monitoring and controlling proper implementation of the Schemes and achieving the projected physical targets within the specified time frame.
No Use of New Welfare Schemes with out Good Delivery System
The Tribals and BPL communities in most of the Rural Areas are being deprived of the benefits of well intended welfare schemes and the funds get diverted into the pockets of powerful mafia, which does not get booked because of political patronage. The well intended purpose of new schemes like "Food Security" may not be served, unless the Delivery System at Grass Roots levels is improved and made accountable, by regular monitoring and effective supervision and control at Divisional and District Levels, which should be free from political patronage.
Proposed Bauxite Mining in Agency Areas of Visakhapatnam
The identified Bauxite Mining sites in Visakhapatnam District are in the Bauxite Hills--Araku Group & Jerrela Group of Chintapalle -- located, in the notified Scheduled Area, which is predominantly in the hands of Tribal People. The proposed Bauxite Mining will displace Tribal Communities, disturbing Ecological Balance and the rich Biodiversity of Eastern Ghats and the sources of important Watersheds apart from depriving tribal land rights and livelihoods., At the same time, the right of tribals to forest titles as per new Forest Rights Act get nullified. Yet, the costs of mining in relation to Tribal People, Forests & Environment remain unresolved, as they have hardly been discussed, so far, outside exclusive elite policy forums, heavily influenced by corporate interests and high profile NGOs.
The closer scrutiny of the Mining projects in the scheduled areas, reveal maximum benefits are going to particular Private Parties with political influence who manipulate the Decision making process and Law in their favour, while the costs of land & resource loss and environmental costs are born by poor tribal people, who are denied the "Rule of Law",
Root Causes of Terrorism
The private monopoly on control of natural resources such as Land, Minerals, Forests, Water etc, which is in variance with the provisions of Article 39 ( b ) and ( C ) of The Constitution of India, contributes to a glaring disparity between the rich and the poor, which in turn invariably creates economic and social unrest,
When the deprived lots are denied access to clean air, adequate safe drinking water and soil to meet their basic human needs, we see the rise of a sense of deprivation, hopelessness, intolerance and hatred. The desperate people can resort to desperate solutions.
The Intolerance can, in the name of religion or ideology, fan the flames of hate and ignite a belief that terrorism is the only solution to a community's or nation's ills. As a result they may care little about themselves and the people they hurt.
It is the forces of poverty, environmental degradation and hatred that give birth to the intolerance that can lead to fundamentalism and terrorist acts. While fighting against Terrorism, we must also expose and eliminate the forces that are instrumental for creation of Poverty & Wide Disparity, and Environmental Degradation, that can lead to an unstable world.
Conclusion
The likely adverse impacts of Bauxite Mining on Peoples' Livelihoods, Rich Bio-Diversity of Eastern Ghats, the Water Sources, and Forests & Environment have generated very wide attention in north coastal AP. But the agencies concerned both at Central & State levels; seem to be blissfully ignorant of their adverse impact on important water-sheds of Sileru, Tandava Nadi etc.
The local people can not be expected to benefit from politically motivated Bauxite Mining projects, which are being bulldozed for individual benefits. This has created unrest in the minds of Tribal Communities of the Scheduled areas of Visakhapatnam, district, which may trigger terrorist activities in the area, neutralizing the intended impact of IAP under LWE programmes
As part of the fight against Terrorism in scheduled areas of Visakhapatnam district, the Forest Clearance for Bauxite Mining Projects should be rejected outright, and the Environmental Clearances granted because of extraneous reasons, to JSW and ANRAK Projects be reviewed and cancelled before it is too late. Otherwise there is every possibility and danger of clandestine operation of their Refinery Projects, particularly that of ANRACK, which is reported to be nearing completion..
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