After the international Ellen l. lutz Indigenous Rights Award of US, prominent tribal social activist Dayamani Barla now eyes on Jharkhand Assembly seat, but not at the cost of her principles of working for the right of tribal and backward people. Barla, a tribal activist came into limelight after she joined the Nagri villagers while they were protesting against the alleged forceful acquisition of their 227 acres of paddy lands by the State Government for the establishment of education hub.
Barla has been named for the award for her deep commitment towards protecting, sustaining, and revitalizing Indigenous cultures, lands, and languages. She will receive the award at New York in United States of America on May 23.
She believes that she must also be a part of the policy making body, if she really want that the poor and downtrodden of this state should get their due share of rights.
“When I was in jail, I felt that only raising voice on the streets will not solve my purpose of fighting for the rights of tribal population, people like me should also reach the place where policies are decided for these poor people,” said Barla.
“If we really want to do justice with the people of this land, we will have to reach there,” she added.
But, according to Barla the onus lies on the people of this state who are the real decision makers in her case. She said politics of vote has made the system worse, in this present scenario; those who are corrupt are the most qualified for this job.
However, she accepts that the path will not be easy for her as becoming an MlA is not a difficult task for her as in the view of the fact that she has been invited by several political parties for ticket who have promised her to take her to the Assembly without making any effort.
“Everyone knows that I have no money to spend in elections, it is to be decided by the people how they will take me to the Assembly. If they feel that I should go there, I will definitely reach the Assembly,” said Barla.
When asked about the reports that she will be joining some party, she said people have started making assumptions in this regard, but the final decision will be taken by Dayamani with the consent of the people of this state, she said.
Over the recent incidents of some of the senior bureaucrats of the State joining political parties, she said it is their effort to secure their positions on the pyramid of power which they have enjoyed earlier; it is definitely not a move to serve the people.
Barla, an indigenous human rights activist and journalist of Munda tribe of Jharkhand, has been in the forefront of people’s movements against corporate and Government-led land grabs and other injustices that have threatened the survival, dignity and livelihoods of, besides displacing them from their ancestral homelands.