The STs in Odisha constitute about one fourth of the population of the State, but they continue to suffer without any major change in their overall socio-economic wellbeing.
Barring a very limited few, a vast section of the ST population suffers all forms of indignity and exploitation and remains backward in every respects of development. There are continuous reports of atrocity, discrimination, poverty, social and educational backwardness, inaccessibility, violence and deprivation without major change in the overall situation.
Unfortunately, still there are tribal communities who are not being legally recognized as STs for identification mistakes by the Government. They are deprived of all their human rights and continue to suffer due to the State apathy. It is largely because of non-implementation of Constitutional mandate, protective legislations and inadequate outlay of allocated financial resources along with huge corruption in development spending. And above all, lack of political will has been delaying the process of realisation of rights and development at par with other fellow citizens of other social groups.
The Home Department data on atrocities shows that about 7,000 registered cases of atrocities were committed against STs by non-SC and ST people during the period from 2005 to 2016. On an average, yearly about 600 cases are being reported in different police stations. In the year 2016, a total of 681 cases got registered whereas only in 336 cases, the accused were charge sheeted. The poor conviction rate consistently shows the status of tribal access to justice, the tribal exclusion in criminal justice administration and judiciary.
The repression by the State police on the one hand and deployment of hundreds of para military forces on the other on the plea of peace and good governance are contradictory. It is fact that mostly security personnel harass and disturb the innocent poor and illiterate.
It is also fact that the cases of atrocity and repression cases are not adequately reported in media and not registered by the police except the few cases where there is much hue and cry by human rights groups. NCRB prisoner statistics shows the jails of the State are largely occupied by ST prisoners with a sizable number of under trials. Many of them do not know about their fault. STs have a very poor representation in police administration and judiciary, including legal profession. There has been gross violation of protective laws for STs by the people who are in charge of its enforcement as reported by human rights bodies.
The undeveloped socio –economic condition of the STs has not been changing much due non –implementation of laws and schemes drawn out of Constitutional mandate. land ownership has been a major concern in all tribal areas and the issue is persistent as one of important sources of conflict because of incomplete survey and settlement work by the Forest and Revenue departments. land ownership is also vital to the development as a majority of the poor depend on forest and land based livelihood since generations but the continued problem of land ownership of tribal farmers has been affecting the production of agriculture and forest based employment in tribal areas.
The FRA has been implemented in the State solely for the STs. The data from the Government says individual forest right title has been given to about 4,08,062 families covering 6,09,553 acres of land, but demarcation of land has been done only in 1,86,405 cases. Non-demarcation of forest land recognized under FRA has been a major concern which is being delayed by the State. People are having patta but without possession over land. There are huge cases of rejection of application of genuine beneficiaries without a proper settlement of issues.
The STs in non-scheduled areas of the State are mostly landless and inhabiting in Government land without record of rights. Even they do not have homestead land to construct houses. STs have been migrating to upcoming urban locations and cities for livelihood and the city slums are occupied with a major chunk of tribal population who are homeless.
The Odisha Economic Survey report 2015 based on poverty head count ratio percentage by different social groups for rural Odisha says though the overall poverty level has reduced but in case of STs it has marginally reduced which is less than 2 per cent per year. Similarly, region-wise, the poverty in south and western region of the State is remaining very high and not being reduced to the desired extent. These areas are scheduled areas with large concentration of tribal population. These areas have also poor infrastructure and even without basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity and sanitary facilities and linking roads, schools and hospitals.
The development funds from a number of sources, including national and international institutions such as UNO, UNDP, UNICEF, WB, ADB, DFID, WFP, IFAD and special dedicated funds under the provision of law such as Article 275(1), DMF, CMAPA, BRGF, CRS fund, and other host of schemes for tribal development have been largely unspent and suffer with issues of corruption and ineffective tribal development administration, without proper tracking of expenditure and governance accountability. The State Government violates the provision of Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) with only notional allocation in budget without proper schemes and programme to spend the allocated amount in the absence of monitoring of plan and expenditure by nodal and coordinating departments. The TSP funds of different departments and Ministries are diverted for common purpose but not for specific need of tribals.
The Regional Inquiry Commission headed by Justice SK Mohanty stated that there has been no coordination among various actors of development and anti- poverty programmes and lack of integration and convergence of various schemes.
The tribal children’s lot who are dependent on residential schools run by the Government and private bodies has no sign of improvement and every day the plights of inmates come to the fore. Not just the problem of accommodation, food and security but also the highly deteriorating quality of education is a matter of concern in the context of the future of the tribal society. In the name of residential tribal children education, private organisations are allowed to run huge residential schools with support of Government and corporates.
The poor and illiterate parents have no control over such private corporations doing educational business in the name of tribal charity devoid of dignity. Education and health being most important concern of social development must not be handed over to profit making private parties. There should be school and hospital in every panchayat for quality free English medium education and standard health service to bring drastic changes in human development in tribal areas.The Constitutional bodies and statutory forums under provisions of law such as NCST and Tribal Advisory Council at the State and district level are almost non –functional, without regular monitoring meetings and accountability. Tribal issues are not being discussed in the State Assembly through special sessions and in meetings of State Planning Board and other bodies specially setup for development.
Many of the elected members from the tribal community publicly express their helplessness over non –action of the Government and neglecting attitude of the bureaucrats. There has been absence of visible State level tribal movements as most of the protests by tribals are on local issue specific and the leaders are divided among themselves on party line.
However, the tribal situation will not be changed without active intervention of the State through State spending and protection.
Tribal development means development of one fourth of the population and almost half of the geographical areas of the State. But unfortunately in spite of provisions in the Constitution, the State has been neglecting in discharging its duty. In order to force the State for enforcement of Constitutional provisions, a State level movement of tribal political organisations must be built.
(manasbbsr15@gmail.com)