50 p.c. of children, SC, ST live in permanent famine: Sen

Kolkata : About 50 per cent of children, equal percentage of scheduled tribes and 60 per cent of scheduled castes in the country are living under conditions of permanent famine as indicated by their Body Mass Index (BMI), civil rights activist Binayak Sen said.

As per WHO specifications, a person is recorded as undernourished if their BMI (body weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres) was below 18.5. If at least 40 per cent of the population of a group or a community had BMI below 18.5, it was said to be living in a permanent state of famine.

"Our studies have found that nearly 50 per cent of children, 60 per cent of SC and more than 50 per cent ST population in India have a BMI below 18.5 and as such, they can be said to be living in a state of permanent famine," Mr. Sen said at a seminar here yesterday.

About 33 per cent of adults were also living under a state of permanent famine, he said.

Mr. Sen, also a paediatrician and community health specialist, said his research in a village near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh had found that pulmonary tuberculosis was rampant among those with a BMI below 18.5.

The campaign for universal health will have to be carried out within the human rights framework to make it truly effective, he said.

Mr. Sen claimed that the National Rural Health Mission had lost much of its effectiveness as the human rights issue had not been factored in its policy framework.

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Skill-based schemes planned for women in tribal areas

Vadodara: In an attempt to make women beneficiaries of several schemes, the state Animal Husbandry department and Tribal Development Department have planned skill-based programmes exclusively for women in rural and tribal areas.

In addition, the Anand Agriculture University (AAU) is also set to begin a training programme for women, soon. M J Solanki, the Associate Director, Extension, AAU, said, “AAU will soon begin a training centre exclusively for women at Devgadh Baria taluka in Dahod district.”

Solanki said the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and the Government of Gujarat have shown willingness to offer funds for the development of this tribal centre. The

centre is likely to take nearly one year before it starts functioning. “Last year, AAU Reproductive Biology unit in collaboration with Gujarat Cooperative Milk Market Federation (GCMMF) started a course for training women in cooperatives,” said Solanki.

He said, “AAU has also started some skill-based courses in the field of animal husbandry for women at Arnej in Ahmedabad and Devasad at Anand.”

Meanwhile, A J Kachia Patel, Joint Director, the state Animal Husbandry department, said, “Our survey has shown that in livestock, 80 per cent work is carried out by women. We are therefore designing several skill-based techniques in poultry farming and livestock and make women beneficiaries of our schemes.”

However, P N Roy Chaudhary, the Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation Department, said, “This pattern, while viable in Animal Husbandry sector, is not possible in agriculture. Generally, the agricultural land is in the name of men and hence technically they are the beneficiaries.”

Mangu Patel, the state Forest and Tribal Affairs Minister, said, “The state government has stressed on increasing women’s participation in tribal schemes as men, often, spend a large part of their income on addictions but women use it for the betterment their families.”

He said, “In fact, we are planning some skill-based programmes exclusively for women in a few selected villages.”

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Tribal woman killed, two injured

Haflong (Assam), May 30 : A Dimasa tribal woman was killed and two men were injured in an attack by rival community at a village in troubled North Cachar hills district today, official sources said.

Armed Zemi Naga tribals allegedly attacked Phaiding village at around 3:30 pm and killed the 55-year-old woman and injured two others.

The attack was in retaliation to the killings of two Zemi Naga villagers, who were shot dead yesterday allegedly by people of Dimasa community in the village, the sources said.

They had also set 21 houses on fire before escaping, they added.

Thousands of people have been rendered homeless by the turf war between ethnic communities in the district.

Two relief camps have been set up in Maibong and one each in Tunge, Jurai, Hajaichak and Mahur, the sources said.

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Dhumal orders payment of dues of fruit growers on priority basis

Himachal  Pradesh government wants a clearing of all payments and arrears amounting to Rs 10.5 crore of fruit growers who sold their fruits to state agencies under  Market  Intervention  Scheme (MIS), chief minister  Prem Kumar Dhumal said today.
The concerned departments had been directed to ensure that the payment with arrears was disbursed to all fruit growers on a priority basis, Dhumal said while reviewing the functioning of Horticulture department here.

The CM said the Horticulture sector is contributing about Rs 2000 crore per annum to the state gross domestic product and has emerged as the major economic activity in the upper regions of the state, an official release said.

Out of 6.15 lakh hectres of cultivable area about 2 lakh hectres was under fruit cultivation, he added.

Dhumal said Rs 20 crore would be spent under National Horticulture Technology Mission during the current financial year.

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Tea tribes cry ‘betrayal’

May 29 : Assam’s tea community today hit the streets burning effigies of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, holding him responsible for veteran community leader Paban Singh Ghatowar’s exclusion from Manmohan Singh’s council of ministers.

Anger also swept across the Congress rank and file in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh because their MPs were deprived of ministerial berths.

Members of the tea community shouted slogans against Gogoi and held demonstrations in several gardens of Upper Assam since morning. The influential Asom Chah Mazdoor Sangha — affiliated to Intuc — also convened an extraordinary meeting of the union at its headquarters in Dibrugarh to discuss threadbare the future course of action over the non-inclusion.

The Ghatowar-headed ACMS, which represents around 10 lakh tea labourers in the Brahmaputra valley, has called another meeting in Guwahati on Monday and threatened to launch a political party in the 2011 Assembly elections to protest against the “great betrayal” of the tea community by the Congress.

Ghatowar regained the Dibrugarh seat from the AGP’s Sarbananda Sonowal. Since he won the seat for the fifth time and is also a former Union minister of state, community members said he was both “senior and experienced”.

Security has been tightened in and around tea gardens in view of the tension in some areas, sources said.

“As of now we have decided to field our own candidates in the elections and we will adopt certain strategies to ensure that the candidates from the Congress lose. We might even form a political party,” Lakheswar Tanti, the circle secretary of the Moran circle of the ACMS said. Tanti is also a member of the central working committee of the ACMS.

The meeting, presided over by Dileswar Tanti, the general secretary in-charge of the ACMS, has urged elected Congress leaders to spell out their stand on Ghatowar’s exclusion.

The PCC tea cell has termed the denial of berth to Ghatowar as unfortunate but hoped the Prime Minister would accommodate him keeping in mind the party’s interest vis-à-vis the 2011 Assembly elections.

“It is unfortunate but we are hopeful that he will be accommodated in the future, keeping an eye on the 2011 polls. Our job was to ensure tea votes and we have done that by ensuring the victory of our candidates in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaliabor and Lakhimpur. To keep it intact, the only MP from the community needed to be accommodated,” Bhagirath Karan, chairman of the PCC’s tea cell, said after returning from Delhi.

While the Congress in Assam won seven Lok Sabha seats, it won two each in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The party bagged 13 of the 24 seats in the region.

Senior Congress leaders in Imphal also expressed their “disappointment” and “anger” by not turning up at the Congress Bhawan during the swearing-in ceremony in Delhi.

Bidyapati Senjam, a general secretary in Manipur PCC, declined to comment but admitted that the mood among the rank and file was “bad”. A party worker said, “We feel betrayed. We have three MPs. Why was none of them included? Meghalaya was given two berths. This is as good as ignoring the sentiments of the Manipuri people.”

There was disappointment in Arunachal Pradesh too. PCC sources said the decision has left chief minister Dorjee Khandu shattered as he had been lobbying for a berth for Rajya Sabha MP Mukut Mithi.

PCC president Nabam Tuki said they were hopeful about Mithi’s inclusion but would abide by the high command’s decision.

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Study the Dimensional Problem of Tribal Students in India With Special Reference to Kerala State

Education, is a modern word, which is derived from the Latin word ‘educase’, means to nourish, to cause to grow (Patel: 1991 : viii). Education also prevails in illiterate societies, where it is imparted orally and by mass behavior. A member of primitive society learns to earn his livelihood, to do good works, to obey spiritual beings and also superstitions etc from the elders of the society and bind by its laws and regulations. These are the education for them. We the modern people do mean “education as reading and writing. This is also true. By modern education a person can able to increase his knowledge and expand his vision and avail the fruits or development. Hence modern education can play the role of “Catalyst” in bringing sea changes in the sphere of social, political, economic fields. One of the important reasons for failure of development activities in the society by various developmental agendas is the prevalence of acute illiteracy and ignorance, combined with superstitions among the rural masses. Hence to ward off economic backwardness, social deprivation spreading of education is regarded as one of the most effective and forward-looking instruments (Patel: 1991:26). Another reason of failure of education is superstition among the tribal. Superstitions like “reading would make their eyes drop out of their sockets” etc. is also responsible for not spreading of education, so no remarkable progress could be achieved within next 10 years (Behera : 1984:76). Accordingly O.J. Millman, a Baptist Missionary set up a school in 1914 at Gudripadi near G.Udayagiri (Boal : 1963: 61). As Government experienced, acute caste discrimination prevailing among the students as well as parents, the Govt. was forced to set up separate schools for ST and SC students. Lord Dalhousie, the then Viceroy of British India appointed Mr. Charles Wood who was the Chairman of Board of Controll on 19th July 1853 to review the progress of education in India and to suggest way-out for its improvement and to frame new laws and regulations. Accordingly, he had submitted his report in the year 1854, which was known as Woods’ Dispatch. As such post of Director of Public Instructions was created in Bombay, Bengal and in Madras presidency
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exclusively to look after development of education. As suggested in Wood’s Dispatch, the medium of instruction should be in mother language. Another Commission was also set up for reformation and development of education in the year 1882, known as Hunter Commission. Lord Curzon organized an all India conference in the year 1901 at Simla to review the progress and to find out faults in education, which was the first conference in India in the history of education. The proceedings of the said conference were published in 1904, which was known as Curzon’s Proclamation. That proclamation was an important document where emphasis was given regarding Syllabus, appointment of teachers and monetary assistance to schools and the importance of the provincial Governments to promote mass education. Administrative reformation law by Montague Chelmsford was published in the year 1919, where complete responsibility was laid down for education on provincial Governments. Hence Education Act of Madras Presidency was framed in 1920. Accordingly financial assistance was provided with to schools regularly and special responsibility was also given to District Boards and Local Boards. Again Hartog Commission was set up in 1929 where emphasis was given to promote mass education and to eradicate wastage and stagnation problem Christian Missionaries also took an important role for development of education in backward classes of this district.  Missionaries also created awareness among the tribal towards education. Schools were also set up for ST and SC students by tribal Welfare department of Government after independence.  Secondly, ignorance and superstitions play a major set back for spread of education in the district. People of the remote area are superstitious and addicted to blind beliefs. So they do not understand the value of education. Thirdly, a vital reason for the drop out problem of tribal students is their prevailing cultural process and life style, which hardly creates conducive environment for spreading of education.
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The poverty of tribal people doesn’t permit them to keep clean their home environment. They don’t get nutritious food. So tribal children often fall ill. The parents could not treat them timely due to economic scarcity. So they suffer for a long period. During suffering the child remains absent from school and after recovering from illness he loses his appetite for study. However there are few other reasons, which may also be responsible for drop-out
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                             The tribal are the children of nature and their lifestyle is conditioned by the eco-system. India due to its diverse ecosystems has a wide variety of tribal population. Tribes people constitute 8.14% of the total population of the country, numbering 84.51 million (2001 Census). There are 697 tribes notified by the Central Government under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution with certain tribes being notified in more than one State. More than half the Scheduled Tribe population is concentrated in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhandand Gujarat whereas in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh no community has been notified as a Scheduled Tribe. Due to isolation, unawareness and exploitation tribes in India facing economic and social problems. They live generally in inhospitable terrain   where productivity of soil is low and their hamlets are found in forest areas along with the hill streams., India has the largest concentration of tribal population in the world .A tribe is a group comprising families, alone, or generation having its own customs, occupying a specific geographic territory and being independence of or having little contact with the dominant national society of the country in which they live.. Tribals of our country (India) resides in such a territory, which is marked by the presence of hills, forest, islands, mountains, seacoasts etc. They live in a special geographical territory. That is why, some scholars see tribe as a territorial group. Tribals have to face a number of problems due to their isolated residences situated in remote areas. But they are closely and emotionally related to their lands and forest. There are no communications facilities between the various isolated tribal group as well as between the tribal and the world at large. They accept all outsiders in their territory that create more problem than benefits to the tribal communities.  Due to exploitation from various stakeholders tribals are now facing a lot of problems .For promoting the welfare of schedule tribes and for rising the level of administration of schedules and tribal areas to the state level, Article 275 of the constitution provides grants in aid from consolidated fund of India to states for implementation of developmental programmes. And the article lies down as a Directive Principle of State Policy that the State should promote, with special care, the education and economic interest of the weaker sections.  The 10th Five Year Plan envisages a slightly different approach in Kerala. As far as Tribals development is concerned Tribals own neighborhood groups [Oorukoottams] are formed as basic units for the formulation and implementation of TSP and other Tribals Development Programmes. A new approach and strategies for the sustainable development of tribals in Kerala. In view of this the following suggestions are made. Top most priority should be given to elimination of poverty and reduction of unemployment among the tribals. Majority of the tribal population does not still enjoy the basic standards of Good life. Elimination of poverty requires macro as well as micro strategies. For this there have to be separate component plan for Scheduled Tribes and the disabled including family specific plans for improving quality of life as well as protecting and upgrading the land resources, value addition to the non-timber Forest Produce, high quality education, proper health, social security support etc. No conventional institutional options have to be tried out in the case of education, health, and economic development and so on where NGO’s with good track record could play a positive role. Preservation of tribal culture and fostering of their traditional knowledge have to be ensured hand in hand with their empowerment and all round socio-economic development. The Draft Comprehensive Master Plan prepared by the Government should be implemented in a time bound manner with greater emphasis on the primitive tribal groups with stress on Education; Land based Development, Implementation of Protective measures with added legal support etc. It is commitment of the State Government to distribute land to all landless tribals and to rehabilitate them in a phased manner and to help them to sustain their land. High priority should be given to the construction of Houses, electrification, Drinking Water, Sanitation facilities etc. The future tribal educational programmes would aim at primary and secondary educational facilities to all ST students through Institutions like MRS, centre of excellence, etc. Strengthening of pre-primary education with adequate nutritional care, merit up gradation programmes for equipping the ST students for appearing various Entrance Examinations and Civil Services Examinations, more emphasis on technical education including Information Technology, revision of mess charges on the tribal hostels etc., are major strategies proposed. The priority / thrust areas envisaged for the future Tribal Development are:
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. Provision of minimum needs to the poor STs aimed at systematic human resource development so as to enable the youths to seek employment., All landless tribals / marginal farmers among the tribals are to be provided with cultivable land depending on availability and implement sustainable development programmes.; Micro enterprises would be promoted among tribal women through Kudumbashree.; Tribal Sub-Plan programmes will be integrated with anti-poverty sub-plan. ;Socio-Economic development programme for the benefit of poorest of the poor to bring them above poverty line.; Ensuring of high quality education to tribal students.; Pre-primary education and residential education will be strengthened further;. The existing tuition scheme will be modified to cater to the needs of all tribal students; Programmes for assisting dropouts and improving enrolment will be formulated; All Houseless families will be given houses in a phased manner.;. The rate of Scholarships [Lump sum grant / stipend etc] will be revised frequently; The problems of tribal families living within forest areas will be solved in collaboration with forest department.; Health care facilities will be strengthened by improving existing Health Extension Programmes in tribal areas tie-up with Health Department;.  High priority for the completion of pre-metric hostels and improving of their infrastructure facilities and revision of mess charges etc.  Massive awareness and literacy programmes with involvement of NGOs will be organised in the tribal areas; Programmes aimed at improving the brilliance of talented ST students will be formulated and implemented.; Training programmes such as IT Training will be arranged for the tribal students and programmes for ensuring jobs for tribals in the IT sector will be formulated.; The participation of the tribals in the industrial sector, even in the small scale and traditional sector is virtually nil. To change this situation suitable strategies can be formulated, the socio-economic conditions of the communities like Adiya, Paniya, Primitive Tribes, Hill Pulayan, Malapandaram etc., are very pathetic. In view of this specific, exclusive programmes can be chalked out for the development of these communities.,The problems of the families living in tribal rehabilitation projects like Sugandhagiri, Pookot Dairy Project, Attapady Cooperative farming society etc., will be solved with the participation of these families., It is proposed to give Health Insurance coverage to all backward tribal families in a phased manner., Remoteness is one hurdle, which prevents the overall and comprehensive development of tribals. This eludes the tribals from the infrastructural needs such as road, drinking water, electrification, hospital facilities, educational facilities etc. A comprehensive plan can be formulated to solve these problems.
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.Plan State Schemes
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,Schemes for providing better educational facilities to bright ST students., Bharath /Kerala Darshan programme to ST Students, Post -metric hostels for Tribal Students., Training On Information Technology,  Post-Metric Scholarship, Vocational Training Institutes, Award of Research Fellowship in various aspects of Tribal Development, Up gradation of merits of ST students, Special Incentive to Brilliant Students, Repairs and Maintenance of Tribal Hostel., Construction of Hostels for Boys and Girls., Purchase of Land for construction of hostels., Running and construction of 18 Model Residential/Ashram Schools., Grants to High school going SSLC/Plus-2 failed students for studying in tutorial
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Methodology
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A questionnaire was designed to capture data on various parameters. The data collected for this study by asking question from tribal students, tribal parents and authorities one who responsible for the development of tribal communities.
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 Sample selection: This study has its focus on students defined as tribal. All students under the “below poverty line (BPL)” family category fell into our focus population. It is not our intention to debate the methodology adopted by the state in defining the tribal.  As the idea of the study is to look at what are the problem faced by tribal students from various stakeholders. This is based on the presumption that the findings would be used
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for developing educational status of tribal people. We wanted to base the study in some of the most backward districts in India, the choice of Wayanad was made purposively. The selection of wayanad was driven not only by its general backwardness, but also the geographical backgrounds. Wayanad district stand first in the case of adivasi population (about 36%) among other district in the state.
Design of questionnaire: For collecting data, a detailed questionnaire was designed, with a view to capture education of tribal students.. The base data were the various problems faced by the students regarding their education from within the family and outside the family. Although the questionnaire was not divided into different stages, each question collected specific information.
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Objectives: The important objectives of our study are-
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1          To understand the problem of tribes students through empirical analysis.
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2          To study the problem of students with in the family and outside the family.
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3          To provide suggestion to different stake holders for developing tribal education
EDUCATION
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The level of education is often viewed as an indicator of the the development of any country. Earlier, the welfare activities in the state for tribals mostly concentrated on educational programmes. Economic development of these communities leading to the creation of substantial assets and ownership of instruments of production through income generating training programmes received attention only from the sixth five-year plan period Traditionally  education has played a conservative role in relation the social process . A large portion of population has not allowed by the upper caste to recive education tribal are not exception to this, therefore the last five decade education became the monopoly of higher caste people. During the British period nothing much was done to improve Indian education system. The development of education during the post independence period has been conditioned by the natural goals and aspiration as enshrined in our constitution. Several committees and commission were formed to increase the educational status of nation. Large number of educational institution were opened in rural and tribal areas for spreading of education among the ST. Compared to the general educational level the status of tribal education is far below A number of schemes and incentives such as scholarship, free residential facilities, free books, and above all reservation of seats in educational institutions were introduced and implemented. These are the facilities provided by the government to ST but their problem still continuing. What is their problem? Is it social or economic or any others…
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.. The main reason for the low level of education among tribes is the peculiar nature of their habitations. The social and economic conditions prevailing in the tribal settlements are not conducive for better education. Lack of sufficient educational institutions in tribal areas, poverty, inability to catch the children from pre-primary level, lack of nutritional and health care programmes, poor enrolment and drop out from high education etc., curtain the effective educational development among Scheduled Tribes. Moreover, the parents of the tribal children being generally illiterate cannot insist on their children attending classes regularly. In order to improve education among Scheduled Tribes, the primary efforts should be on eradication of poverty. The parents of the tribal children have to be provided with regular employment for earning income to meet their day-to-day requirements, which will help to send their children to school. Scheduled Tribe students have to be provided with boarding and lodging. Opening of more crèches/ Balwadies/ Nursery Schools, in tribal areas will not only promote early childhood education, but also lessen the burden of elder children in looking after the younger as and when the parents go for work. Lack of teachers in remote areas, general failure of tuition schemes, lack of skill development etc., are certain priority issues in the field of tribal education. A study made by the ST development department revealed that nearly 10% of the tribal habitats are very remote and lack even primary school facility with in a radius of 2 Kms. In fact the position has improved to some extent during the past 9 year’s time. However the school facilities in primitive tribal areas are poor; 71.95% of the PTGs are lacking School facilities within 1 KM area. The state has started multi-learning centres and single teacher schools for improving primary & pre-primary education in remote tribal areas. But the functioning of the Anganwadies in these areas needs further strengthening and proper improvement. In the 10th plan, the tribal educational programmes would aim at primary and secondary educational facilities for all eligible ST students especially those living in remote areas [main objectives is improvement of enrolment rates and arresting of drop out rates] improved facilities for high quality education and research for talented ST  students; centres of Excellence etc., strengthening of pre-primary education with adequate nutritional care, merit up-gradation programmes for equipping the ST students for appearing various entrance examinations and civil services examinations; more emphasis on technical education including Information Technology, restructuring of the present tuition programmes for failed as well as regular ST students. A thorough rejuvenation of tribal hostels necessary by improving the Academic qualification for wardens and cooks etc. High priority will be given for the completion of pre-metric hostels. Scheduled Tribes form one of the most backward sections of our country. Though there has been a gradual increase in their literacy rates since independence, the present position is far from satisfactory. On an average, the difference between the literacy rate of the General category and that of STs has been around 20%. Though it is a fact that literacy rate among tribals has gone up yet the decadal rate of growth of literacy is very slow as compared to the literacy rate of the general population. The literacy rate has increased by 6.78% in the decade 1971-81 and
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16.00% during 1981-91 for the general population but in the case of Scheduled Tribes, the literacy rate has risen by 5.05% and 13.25% only for the period 1971-81 and 1981-
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91 respectively. The gap between literacy rates of general population and STs has increased from 20% in 1981 to 23% in 1991. The literacy position is more unsatisfactory
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in case of ST females, which is only 18.19% as against 39.23% for non SC/ST women
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i.e. 8 out of every 10 ST women are illiterate. The difference (about 17%) in drop out rate is almost at the same level for Primary Education for the years 1980-81 and 1988-89, while for Middle Education it is about 14%. For Secondary Education, the drop out has increased from 9% to 11% for Scheduled Tribes as compared to the general population. So the rate of dropouts still remains much higher than the General population. At the Higher Education level, the participation of STs amounts to only 3.9% as against their population percentage of 8.08%. The enrolment ratios of ST girls and boys have continued to show a progressive trend along with the rest of the population. The other revealing factor was the better pace of progress maintained by STs at primary level (43.0%) over SCs (29.7%), especially that of ST girls (49.0%) over SC girls (37.3%) during 1981 to 1996. Above all, the overall progress made by STs in terms of enrolment ratios at primary and middle levels between 1980-81 and 1995-96 has been impressive, and they could be much better than the general population. Like all other sectors of socio-economic life, educationally the tribal people are at different levels of development but on the whole formal education has made very little impact on tribal groups. In the light of the previous efforts it is not shocking because prior to 1950, the Government of India had not direct programme for the education of the tribals. With the adoption of the constitution, the promotion of education of Scheduled Tribes has become a special responsibility of the Central as well as the State Governments. The rate of education among the tribals is not very encouraging.
Factors affecting Tribal Education
Attitude of Other Students: Attitude of other student is one of the important factors for the promotion of tribal student’s higher education ie, environment factor is one of the crucial factors for the development. The negative attitude we can reflected in  university and other higher educational centre mainly located in big cities.
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Social Factors: More allocation of funds and opening of schools do not go far in providing education to the tribals. Formal education has not been necessary for the members of tribal societies to discharge their social obligations. Hence they should be prepared to accept education and it should be presented to them in such a way as to cut the barriers of superstition and prejudice. There is still a widespread feeling among the tribals that education makes their
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boys defiant and insolent and alienates them from the rest of their society, while the girls
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turn modern or go astray. Since some of their educated boys felt alienated and cut off their bonds with their families and villages after getting education and good employment. Some of the tribal groups vehemently oppose the spread of education in their midst. Besides, some of their superstitions and myths also play their part. Some tribal groups believe that their gods shall be angry if they send their children to schools run by ‘outsiders’.
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Economic Factors: Some economic factors too are responsible for lack of interest shown by the tribal people in getting education. Since most of the tribal people are living in poverty, it is not easy for most of them to send their children to schools.
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Lack of Interest in Formal Education: In many states tribal children are taught through the same books which from the curriculum of non-tribal children of the urban and rural areas of the rest of the state. Obviously, the content of such books rarely appeals to the tribal children who come from different cultural backgrounds. Under the traditional tribal set up a child enters adulthood with confidence. He knows his environment thoroughly, knows how to construct his own house, cultivate his field, weave his cloth; in short he acquires all the skills to lead a reasonably comfortable life within the limitations of his culture. The simple skill of reading and writing acquired in an over formal school is no match for this. We cannot afford to push him back to his environment naked. Therefore, a curriculum should be framed in the welfare of tribal people. Certain tribal activities like agriculture, dancing, hunting, tribal games and archery must be allowed to find fullest expression in the extra-curricular activities of the school, thus providing some continuity of the traditional values and forms of organization. A scheme is to be worked out through which the school children will be able to link up the school and the teacher with their parents and the tribal activities. The school has to act as a centre of dispersal of simple technical know-how beyond the skills of reading and writing to become an effective agent of social change. This student-teacher-parent continuum should be able to generate a congenial atmosphere, so that the broad purpose of education, which is to enable an average citizen to comprehend the social, political, economic and other processes and forces around him, is fully served.
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Suitable Teachers: Lack of suitable teachers is one of the major reasons for the slow growth of education in tribal areas. Most of the teachers employed for imparting education to the tribal children show little appreciation of tribal way of life and value system. They approach tribal people with a sense of superiority and treat them as ‘savage and uncivilized’ and hence fail to establish proper rapport with their students. The Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission’s report says that a teacher in the tribal areas must have a thorough knowledge of tribal life and culture. He must speak tribal language. Only so can he be in a position to act as a friend, philosopher and guide to the tribal people. Actually the gulf between teachers and taught can be best reduced by appointing teachers from the tribal community itself or a separate cadre of teachers for tribal areas, with some inducements, should be created to serve the educational needs of the tribal society.
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Lack of Facilities: One of the major problems in tribal education is that of language. Most of the tribal languages and dialects are in the most rudimentary stage and there is hardly any written literature. Most of the states impart education to tribal and non-tribal children alike through the medium of the regional language, which makes the education uninteresting and also hurts tribal sentiments.
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Nature of habitat: Most of the tribal villages are scattered. This entails long travels to attend schools. Unless the school situated very close to their villages and its site approved by the local people the result shall not be encouraging. School building also plays an important role in the growth of education among the tribal folk. Due to mismanagement, bungling and sometimes financial constraints, the building and sometimes-financial constraints, the building is seldom suitable to run an educational institution.
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Number of teachers: Most of the primary schools run in the tribal areas are “Single teacher-managed whose presence in the school is more an exception than a rule”. The enthusiasm of tribal people in the education of their children also depends considerably on the timing of school hours in different seasons. It should not clash with their important socio-economic activities.
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To many observers of the situation, the problem of education in tribal areas is the problem of wastage. It is not that wastage and stagnation are peculiar to the tribal communities alone but the extent of wastage is much larger in their case. The problem of
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Absenteeism is a serious one in tribal areas. One sees a large number of students on the rolls but the actual attendance is really low, and the number of students passing out at the final examination is even lower. The real problem is to create such economic conditions as could be conducive to the students developing sufficient interest in their studies. Education being the most effective instrument of empowering the Socially Disadvantaged Groups, all out efforts should be made to improve the educational status of these groups, especially that of the women and the Girl Child. In fact, the educational backwardness, prevalent amongst these people, necessitates an added thrust on their education, training and skill up gradation, as it will bring forth not only social empowerment but also economic empowerment.
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Environment of family: Surrounding or environments is one of the importance factors influence for the development of a person generally and particularly in educational development. Most of the tribal parents are agricultures and labours; they have little knowledge relating to modern world and modern environment. Their environment narrows that created narrow mentality. And most of tribal fathers are addicts to alcoholic and other beverage items that creating some problem in mentally and economically end result students will fail exams.
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Communication: Communication one of the key factor affecting the development of tribal education.  Due to isolation tribal facing problem for expressing modern and regional languages.  For understanding tribal language very difficult generally in the case of society and particularly in teachers. So the students facing problem for discussing their doubt with teachers. So their doubt continuing and automatically tribal students became the last in the class.
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Cooperation from Stake Holders: Cooperation is essentials for promoting education in the case of tribal students. Their funds are flowing a number of persons hand and at last that amount will get students hands. The delay of funds creating problem, so the respective authorities need to be responsible for providing funds at right time at right hand.  And at last but not least the success of tribal education is completed only after getting the cooperation and help from their classmates.
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Conclusion
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Article 46 of the Indian constitution stress to promote the ST and SC people with special care in the educational and economic establishment. The spread of education among the ST during the last four decade has been quite uneven. Ignorant and illiteracy among tribals should be minimized and rooted out, by providing proper education and awareness programme. Government should make available adequate grants for education of tribal. To improve the educational and economic status of the tribal, opportunities for basic and adult education with training leading to better employment should be provided. Hostel facilities to tribal students should be surveyed and improved. Tribal welfare department may design and launch new programmes to generate employment opportunities for tribals. The Director of Employment and Training may provide effective career guidance service to the tribal students so as to help them to make a self assessment of these abilities, aptitudes and plan for the career… Ensuring of high quality education to tribal students. Pre-primary education and residential education will be strengthened further. The existing tuition scheme will be modified to cater to the needs of all tribal students. Programmes for assisting dropouts and improving enrolment will be formulated.All Houseless families will be given houses in a phased manner. The rate of Scholarships [Lump sum grant / stipend etc] will be revised frequently. High priority for the completion of pre-metric hostels and improving of their infrastructure facilities and revision of mess charges etc. Massive awareness and literacy programmes with involvement of NGOs will be organized in the tribal areas. Programmes aimed at improving the brilliance of talented ST students will be formulated and implemented. Training programmes such as IT Training will be arranged for the tribal students and programmes for ensuring jobs for tribals in the IT sector will be formulated. For applying schemes at right time, right place and right manner the government and respective authorities’ cooperation.  And at last but most for developing education in tribal communities the balanced relationship between other students and teachers is essentials
Suggestion
Education is the most effective instrument for ensuring equality of opportunity; keeping in view of this assumption the Government has been making several efforts to education by extending special educational facilities and reservation of seat in educational institutions. But the development of education is one of the important problems in the case of tribals. For solving that problem I like to express some suggestions.
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1 Proper awareness campaign should be organized to create the awareness and the importance of education.
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2 Educated tribal youth should be recruited as a teacher and posted in tribal areas.
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3 The attitude of the tribal parents toward education should be improved through proper counseling and guidance.
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4 Teacher buildup and maintain close relationship for the development of tribal students.
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5 Vocational institutes should be implemented for the tribal students for creation of new avenues.
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6 Administration of incentives need to be streamlined so that the students may avail all the facilities at proper time.
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7 Higher level officials should check the functioning of schools frequently relating to the teaching methods, working hours, days of the school and attendance registers.
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8 Establish separate residential school for each districts and extended up to PG level.
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9 Residential facilities with all amenities should be provided to teachers and other staffs.
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10 Merits scholarship, attendance scholarship, and more incentives in the form of grant allocated to uniform, books, learing materials, midday meals, supply of sports equipments.
References
1 Ambhasht N K”Tribal Education Scope and Constraint” Yogana January 26. 1994.
2 Sachchidandanda   1967 Socio Economic Uspects of Tribal education Report of national seminar New Delhi.
3 Joshi N D Adult education and development Tribal Education in India Vol. 1782.
4 Khan Q U 1972 Wastage in India School Education. Institute of Applied man Power, New Delhi.
5 Chattopandhaya K P Tribal Education Man in India Vol 33 1953.
6 Geetha B Language and schooling of tribal children issues related to medium of instruction Economic & Political Weekly October 1995.
7 Kundu M Tribal Education in India- some problem in Tribal transformation in India edited by Buddhadeb Chaudhuri. Inter India publication, New Delhi 1985.
8 Madan T N Education of Tribal India Eastern Anthropologist 1952
9 Mathur P R G Tribal Education in Kerala in tribal transformation in India edited by Buddhadeb Chaudhuri. Inter India publication, New Delhi 1985
10 Morab S G 1984 Soliga in Tribal Education in India edited by P K D Gupta and A K Danda. 1984.
11 Nuna S C Regional Disparities in Educational Development, South Asian Publication New Delhi 1993.
12 Radha S N Literacy in tribal India An evaluation in tribal transformation in India. edited by Buddhadeb Chaudhuri. Inter India publication, New Delhi 1982.
13 Varghese N V School quality and student learing- A Study of primary schooling in Kerala NIEPA  New Delhi.1994
14 Sujatha K Review of Research on Tribal Education published paper on seminar research on Tribal Education 1996 NIEPA New Delhi.1994
15 Radha S N Literacy in tribal literacy in India An evaluation in tribal transformation in India. Edited by Buddhadeb Chaudhuri. Inter India publication, New Delhi 1985
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Nidheesh K B
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/study-the-dimensional-problem-of-tribal-students-in-india-with-special-reference-to-kerala-state-687749.html

READ MORE - Study the Dimensional Problem of Tribal Students in India With Special Reference to Kerala State

Seminar on tribals

Ranchi, May 29 : Tribals had been taught distorted history over the years and, as a result, they feel that they are not a part of India and look on Naxalites as their well wishers, according to Prakash Singh, the former director-general of BSF.

Singh was today speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on “Why are tribals getting attracted towards Naxalism?” organised by the state police and Ranchi University’s anthropology department. “Some tribes such as the Birhors and Mal Paharias of Jharkhand feel unsafe as they are on the verge of extinction. This is one of the factors responsible for their inclination towards Naxalism,” Singh, a Padamsree awardee, said.

The other reason was poor development, he added. “Development plans are not being implemented while crores of rupees are being released by the Centre. Lack of progress in their home turf make tribals think that they are neglected,” Singh said.

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Rugby's sunshine pierces forests in Orissa’s tribal belt

Mumbai: From an origin in English public schools to its impact in Orissa’s tribal interiors, rugby’s sunshine has pierced the densest of forest covers. The tribal-welfare oriented Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) is drawing out the remotest community from Mayurbhanj district through the sport.

These girls might fiddle clumsily with the ketchup sachets at the Bombay Gymkhana, where they are playing the All India Women’s Rugby Sevens, but on the field, they are swatting aside competitors despite having started out on the game just a month ago. At their Bhubhaneshwar-based campus, the about dozen girls have added rugby to their life’s objectives of seeking education and self-sufficiency. So, the back-pass and touch-down have assumed as much importance as their daily classes in stitching, tailoring and computers.

“We’re not scared of being tackled and don’t flinch from bringing others down either. Now that we’re learning the skills and getting better at the game, we are committed to working hard so that we can play internationally,” says captain and the team’s scrum-half Hiramani Kisku.

This is evident from their style of play. The girls have ditched the most obvious means to obstruct opponents on the rugby paddock — the conventional full-frontal on the upper torso or the shoulder-barging — for a cheeky alternative of tackling from around the runner’s legs. It helped that the girls, most of whom are from the adivasi-dominated Mayurbhanj district, started with sports like khokho, kabaddi and football which have actions that can easily simulate a rugby tackle.

Sharing space

“They’re very powerful and determined to do well. The stamina is endless considering they come from rough, hilly and forest terrains where hardships are common,” says their young coach Roshan, who makes do with football goalposts for rugby posts and is content sharing playing space with football, cricket and hockey till he gets a grassier patch of his own. Occasionally, the state’s four clubs are allowed to use Cuttack’s lush cricket Barabati Stadium, which makes up for their basic equipment on leaner days.

And playing rugby ensures that the girls get that one extra portion of eggs, bananas and meat to supplement their chhatua (all-grain mixture added to water) staple.

An Englishman on an education mission planted the sport into Orissa a decade-and-half ago. The founder of KISS, Dr Achytanandan Samanta, a rugby enthusiast, then made it the first-priority sport for the institute’s beneficiaries. That group includes over 7000 tribals, including the Banda tribe, who joined the mainstream only some 20 years ago. For some girls like orphaned Sakuntala Chattar, 18 and soft-spoken, rugby is the first chance to travel outside her district, and her team mates are like a family.

For their speedy inside-centre Parbati Murnu, Mumbai offers the first chance to get into India’s Bangkok-bound maiden international women’s squad. “Rugby’s not just a contact sport. It helps us sharpen our brains,” she says, knocking her index finger against her head.

READ MORE - Rugby's sunshine pierces forests in Orissa’s tribal belt

Caste and the world

S. ANAND

Efforts to treat caste-based discrimination on a par with racial discrimination at the recent Durban Review Conference did not fructify because caste remains an intractable issue for the international audience. Why is it that only Dalits are vocal about this problem?

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What is shocking has been the near-total absence of any debate in the Indian public sphere about the setback...

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Photo Courtesy: International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN)

The search for justice: Dalits protesting in Geneva where the Durban Review Conference was held.
Caste has killed public spirit. Caste has destroyed the sense of public charity. Caste has made public opinion impossible… Virtue has become caste-ridden and morality has become caste-bound.
B.R. Ambedkar, in Annihilation of Caste, 1936

The efforts to internationalise the issue of caste-based discrimination against the 260 million Dalits in South Asia and treat it on a par with racial discrimination, which had received a boost in 2001 at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) held in Durban, suffered a serious setback at the Durban Review Conference held recently (April 20-24, 2009) in Geneva. While in 2001, WCAR had discussed caste euphemistically as “discrimination based on work and descent”, in line with terminology devised by the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference (DRC) has evaded even an allusion to caste.
The DRC’s mandate was to review the Durban Declaration and Program of Action — an elaborate document that was the outcome of the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. Since the 2001 Durban Declaration had explicitly expressed sympathy for Palestinians “under foreign occupation”, there was a sustained United States-Israel effort to debunk the UN document. The media attention last month was therefore focused on the boycott of the DRC by 10 UN member-States led by the US and its cohorts, Israel, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and five EU countries.
Absence of debate

What is shocking has been the near-total absence of any debate in the Indian public sphere about the setback to the fight against caste at the international level. WCAR 2001 had been a landmark event for the Dalit lobby, led primarily by the National Council for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). But even in 2001, the battle had only been half-won. After intense lobbying, the preparatory document for WCAR had included Paragraph 73, urging governments to “prohibit and redress discrimination on the basis of work and descent.” The Indian government then mounted pressure on other governments to jettison this paragraph from the final document. The Dalit effort, scuttled diplomatically in intergovernmental meetings, had a sympathetic hearing at nongovernmental forums.
Despite constitutional guarantees and laws, the Dalits in Indian society are separate and unequal. Statistics provided by statutory bodies reveal that routine violence against Dalits is part of the Indian landscape. That every hour two Dalits are assaulted, every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered and two Dalit houses burnt — even if these are grossly underreported — does not make even a dent on public consciousness.
While New Delhi is being spruced up for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it is yet to adopt the Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993. As the capital was gloating over the diplomatic success in stalling the Dalit caucus’ bid to mobilise international opinion on caste discrimination at the UN, on May 9, the Safai Karamchari Andolan offered detailed evidence to a disbelieving Supreme court bench listing individual manual scavengers and the location of houses where they clean dry latrines in north-east Delhi. According to information obtained under the Right to Information Act, it was submitted that 1,085 scavengers are still working in Delhi.
India’s dogged resistance to discussing caste at UN forums comes in stark contrast to the official positions of other South Asian nations. Looking at the gains from DRC, Rikke Nöhrlind, coordinator of the International Dalit Solidarity Network in Copenhagen, says: “Several other caste-affected countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mauritius addressed the issue in their statements.” Nepal’s Ambassador Dinesh Bhattarai made an explicit reference to the need for a global fight against the “evils of untouchability and caste discrimination”. Malik Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, emphasised that victims of racism must include those who are “marginsalised on the basis of descent and caste”. Both Nepal and Pakistan grapple with huge populations of “untouchables” and are willing to come clean about it.
Glossing the issue

In contrast, Vivek Katju, the Indian delegate at DRC, harked back to India’s experience of colonialism that was “based on racism” and reiterated the several provisions in the Constitution that recognise the rights of minorities. There was no mention of caste. Henri Tiphagne of People’s Watch, Tamil Nadu, bore witness to a “depressing” statement at a side-event of the DRC chaired by Gay McDougal, UN’s Independent Expert on Minority Issues: the National Human Rights Commission member, Justice Babulal Chandulal Patel, referred to caste discrimination as “a family matter”.
There are three fundamental reasons why India’s system of “hidden apartheid” would perhaps never be seriously subjected to international scrutiny, unlike, say, apartheid in South Africa, an issue on which India, too, was righteously and hypocritically indignant. First, the Indian State believes it has the right to do what it wants about the caste system and with its 170 million Dalits — “a family matter”. Even as an atrocity is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes according to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, a list of counterclaims is unfurled: that the drafting of the Indian Constitution was overseen by a Dalit, B.R. Ambedkar; that K.R. Narayanan rose to be the President of India; that we have a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who is Dalit; that we have a mandated number of Dalits entering legislatures and Parliament; that India’s most populous State is governed by a Dalit woman, so on and so forth. Such a projection of unique yet manageable contradictions — the political empowerment of a few coexisting with increasing everyday violence against many — allows India to gloss over the appalling gap between legal provisions and the proven inability of the State to implement these, compounded by the fact that antiquated societal norms outweigh rule of law.
Secondly, some eminent sociologists had argued, in the countdown to WCAR 2001, that caste-based discrimination is not comparable to racism. As many foreigners ask: how do we know who is from which caste when everyone looks alike? It is this apparent invisibilisation of the debilitating hierarchies of caste, and the ability of elite Indians to claim victimhood as one-time subjects of colonial racism, that help elide the question of caste. Such interpretations suffer from a facile biological reading of racism, failing to see racial discrimination and caste discrimination as sociologically and politically constructed. Indians practising caste do know how to place the other person’s caste within minutes of a meeting or conversation. Surnames, accents, food habits, place of origin or residence and other personal preferences are giveaways. Yet, the intractability of caste for an international audience persists.
Everyone’s problem

Thirdly, and crucially, as long as the fight against caste is seen as the problem and concern of only Dalits-as-victims, it shall not be possible to mount an onslaught on caste. We must begin to realise and recognise that all Indians suffer from caste; and the conscientisation to fight and annihilate caste must be the onus of all castes. Ambedkar’s impassioned tract of 1936, Annihilation of Caste, it must be recalled, was an address to caste Hindus and not Dalits. Ambedkar believed the destruction of caste demanded the destruction of Hindu religion that sanctioned caste. Yet today, few non-Dalits in India engage with his ideas. In other words, it is not enough for Dalits to be anticaste; though it is Dalits who are subjected to physical violence and degradation. Unless the brahmins down to shudras recognise that clinging to caste negates the human spirit and humanity, the fight against caste shall be as incomplete as it would be impossible. This, however, does not seem plausible since the privileged castes have a lot to lose, in terms of material security and comforts, if they question caste. As long as we believe it is only Dalits who need to lobby with the UN or fight caste at the village ghat, India shall remain entrapped in caste.

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Where are tribal women in Indian politics?

Underneath the gloss of the UPA victory on 16 May lies a sober reality. Around the country, adivasi women are known for their leadership qualities, and yet, they do not get equal opportunities to contest elections, finds Manipadma Jena.

16 May 2009 - Bhubaneswar - (WFS) - For a decade, Mukta Jhodia, 49, hitching a ride on her husband's bicycle, would go into remote tribal villages of Kashipur in Orissa's Rayagada district to dissuade people from giving up their farmland for bauxite mining. In 2007, Mukta received the Chingari Award instituted for Women Fighting Corporate Crime. Then there is Sumoni Jhodia, 60, who was the unofficial advisor on tribal development from 1993-95 to the erstwhile chief minister, Biju Patnaik. That's not all: Among the 12 tribals killed in police firing at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district in 2006, two were women.

Traumatised by continued violence in Kandhamal, women voters' there still came out in large numbers to vote. Pic: Manipadma Jena\WFS.

Mukta, Sumoni and those killed in the firing are from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), which make up 22.21 per cent of Orissa's population. It is women like them who form the backbone of people's movements. In terms of leadership qualities, they generally do better than their more economically prosperous counterparts from the 'general castes'. Yet, they do not get equal opportunities to contest elections and be a part of the law-making process so crucial for their communities.

Even the nomination of Padma Shri Tulasi Munda, 61, to the Rajya Sabha in 2006, was blocked by the Adivasi Mahasabha comprising several tribal organisations. It was a surprising case of tribals pitting themselves against other tribals, but it reinforced the fact that when it comes to political power sharing, the deeply entrenched G-Factor, or gender factor, kicks in.

The G-factor has clipped the wings of many women interested in contesting elections. Only a minuscule percentage has made it and the fact that the Women's Reservation Bill has remained in a limbo since 1997 has not helped. So what one has here is gender disempowerment within the larger disempowerment of tribals as a community. Of the 157 candidates contesting the Lok Sabha (LS) elections this time, only six per cent were women. The situation was replicated in the polls to the Orissa legislative assembly: Only 10 per cent of the total 1,397 contestants were women.

Orissa has 33 seats out of the 147 in the legislative assembly reserved for tribals. At the parliament level, five of the total 21 seats are reserved for ST candidates. Historically, political parties have never fielded more than an insignificant number of women from these seats. But when women candidates have been given a chance, they have won - not just once, but twice and thrice - proving that they too can master the 'winnability factor'.

Saraswati Hembrum, 60, starting as a Sarpanch (village council head) and went on to represent the Congress Party from Kuliana in Mayurbhanj for three terms in the state assembly from 1980 to 2000. She was also the first tribal woman to be given ministerial charge. Frida Topno, 84, a gazetted state government officer, won the LS seat in 1991 and again in 1996 from Sundargarh district. Sushila Tiriya, 52, went to the Rajya Sabha twice (in 1994 and 2006) from Mayurbhanj and once to the LS. Interestingly, Frida and Sushila, both graduates, are deeply committed to social work and have chosen to remain single.

BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik, although he claims to be committed to the empowerment of women and tribals, fielded only eight women for the 130 assembly seats the party is contesting.  •  Jumping into the fray themselves  •  Irula heads push for change

Two high profile women from tribal communities contesting elections from Orissa this time (LS and assembly elections in the state were held simultaneously in two phases on April 16 and 23) are Draupadi Murmu and Hema Gamang. Draupadi, 50, a Santhal and a graduate, is a two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Rairakhol, Mayurbhanj. This time round she is contesting the LS seat from Mayurbhanj. She started her career as part of the government clerical staff, and went on to become a minister.

Hema, 48, from the Saura tribe of Rayagada, was the youngest entrant in this lot. She was only 38 when she entered the LS in 1999 from Koraput district on a Congress ticket. Although there were local politicians in her family, it was her husband, Giridhar Gamang, who was instrumental in opening the portals to mainstream politics to her. He was the Orissa Chief Minister at that time and had won in six consecutive LS elections. He needed Hema to keep his LS seat safe, while he dominated state politics. Hema readily acknowledges this, "I was acquainted with politics and knew grassroots party workers well, having campaigned for my husband. But I was not keen to jump into the thick of the fray at that point."

Once in, though, she not only learnt the ropes but also developed a taste for power. In 2004, she fought a furious and very public battle with her husband to retain her Koraput LS seat, which her husband wanted back. The Congress sided with Giridhar and Hema had to settle for the Gunupur assembly seat in Rayagada. History repeated itself in 2009 as well. She gave up the Gunupur constituency, which she had nurtured because both her brother and son wanted to contest from there. This time she fought from the Laxmipur assembly constituency in Rayagada. Observes Hema ruefully, "The men try to push a woman around in politics as well!"

What does it take for a woman from a tribal community to get a foothold in national politics? "Family political background, personal qualities, exposure to the world outside one's own community, education and adequate funds - in that order," says Hema promptly.

Hema Gamang on a hectic election campaign in Laxmipur, Rayagada. Pic: Manipadma Jena\WFS.

In sharp contrast to Hema, Draupadi Murmu does not come from a political background. Today, after eight years as a legislator and after heading two ministries, her nomination affidavit reveals that she has no house to her name, only a modest bank balance and some land. What works for her? "Showing results," Draupadi quips. She concedes, however, that being in the right place at the right time and having access to the right people helps, although that did not get her the LS ticket in 2004, which she had badly desired. The selection committee doubted whether a woman would be able to fight Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's strongman, Sudam Marandi. So her male colleague, Bhagirathi Majhi, was fielded instead. He lost and this may have forced the party to do a re-think: Draupadi was pitted against Marandi this time.

Sahadeva Sahu, a former Chief Secretary in the state government and Convener of Orissa Election Watch (OEW), a civil rights organisation, agrees that tribal women don't stand a chance when it comes to getting tickets. "They cannot even speak up for themselves," he observes.

Laments Tapasi Praharaj, a Bhubaneswar-based activist from the Left-leaning All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), "Women participate more in the election process in every way. But, they are given a raw deal at the time of ticket selection." This despite the fact that women figure high among voters: It was the women of Malkangiri and Koraput this time who bravely exercised their franchise despite boycott calls given by Naxal groups.

Neither the Congress nor the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have fielded a woman in these LS polls. As for the assembly elections, BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik, although he claims to be committed to the empowerment of women and tribals, fielded only eight women for the 130 assembly seats the party is contesting. Sonia Gandhi's Congress has not done much better: Only 15 out of its 147 candidates are women. None of the Left parties - CPI, CPI (M) and CPI (ML) - have fielded a woman candidate. Significantly, out of the total 140 women candidates in the assembly elections this time, 37 - or roughly one-third - are contesting as Independents. The figure reflects the high level of frustration among women candidates at being denied party nominations.

If the status of women in these neglected tribal communities is to change for the better, political parties across the board in tribal-dominated states like Orissa will have to do a serious re-think on their ticket distribution strategies. (Women's Feature Service) ⊕

Manipadma Jena
16 May 2009

READ MORE - Where are tribal women in Indian politics?

School for 'Untouchables' Makes Academic History in India

BANGALORE, India, May 20 : The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) released their results on Wednesday, and for the second year in a row the entire 10th grade class of Shanti Bhavan (www.shantibhavanonline.org), a tuition-free home and school dedicated to Dalit (formerly known as "Untouchables") children, secured First Division in the nationally accredited ICSE examination. Shanti Bhavan is the first school for Dalits to achieve First Division in the ICSE exams in India's academic history and have replicated that success again this year.

Over 1,500 schools in India and abroad take the ICSE annually, and the tests cover a wide range of subjects, from Physics and Chemistry to English Literature and Computer Applications. First Division on the ICSE is equivalent to a 3.5 GPA and higher by U.S. standards. The ICSE exams are administered over a three-week period and high scores can pave the way to entry into India's elite universities like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Shanti Bhavan's student body comes from families facing extreme poverty. Their parents are employed as sewer cleaners, carcass handlers, and in other low-paying jobs. Many are, or have been bonded-laborers, trapped in debt to landowners and money-lenders. Due to poverty and social injustice, graduating from high school has been difficult for Dalit children and only a small percentage has ever taken the ICSE.

Dr. Dagmar Etkin, a former Harvard instructor and an environmental scientist, taught Chemistry and Environmental Studies to the 10th grade. "The children of Shanti Bhavan are as intelligent and educated as any of their peers. They would fit in perfectly in a class of freshmen at Harvard." She added, "I cried when I saw their huts and the overwhelming poverty. It was difficult to believe this is where my students had come from. The ICSE results prove that Shanti Bhavan's model is working."

Located in Tamil Nadu, India, Shanti Bhavan is also a home for the children, offering food, clothing, medical care, and all their necessities, free of charge. The institution's stated goal is to alleviate poverty through high quality education, opening up professional career paths that would normally be denied to this segment of the population.

To contact Shanti Bhavan:
U.S.: 121 Hawkins Place, PMB 192, Boonton, NJ, 07005 (phone: 940-368-4370)
Website: www.shantibhavanonline.org or email shantibhavanchildren@gmail.com

READ MORE - School for 'Untouchables' Makes Academic History in India

Free Binayak Sen

By Priyamvada Gopal, Dwijen Rangnekar and Aditya Sarkar
Znet
Oddly unblemished by global scrutiny, India’s civil rights copybook is a blotted one, with its fair share of arbitrary arrests, police atrocities, and concocted cases. The most prominent victim of an increasing criminalization of India’s strong traditions of dissent is Dr. Binayak Sen, arrested on 14 May 2007 on charges of abetting Maoist insurgency in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. A paediatrician by training, Sen has been working for decades with adivasis (’tribals’) in Chhattisgarh. Having helped set up the pioneering Shaheed HospitaI for mine-workers, he was involved with several worker-based health programmes across the state.
As President of the Chattisgarh branch of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Sen was a significant voice against the violence rending the mineral- and forest-rich region, large portions of which have been handed over to private industry for exploitation, leading to large-scale displacement. In recent years Chhattisgarh has witnessed a protracted Maoist insurgency to which the state has responded with draconian anti-terror legislation. The 2005 stablishment of the Salwa Judum, private militias armed by the state government, has accelerated the conflict, leaving hundreds dead and thousands dispossessed. While treading a peaceful and democratic path through this carnage, Sen exposed a number of state-backed killings, violent dispossessions, and human rights violations in the region.
Among these was evidence of police involvement in the killing of 12 tribal people in Bijapur on 31 March 2007. On 14 May, Sen was arrested under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, an enactment that in common with most anti-terror legislation across the world effectively criminalizes peaceful protest and throttles criticism of the state. His visits to a senior and ailing leader of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader in jail were used to charge Sen with involvement in the insurgency. Carried out under strict supervision by jail authorities, these meetings were actually conducted in his capacity as a doctor and civil liberties activist. To date, the authorities have failed to provide a shred of concrete evidence in the case against Sen who has been systematically denied bail.
The last two years have brought global recognition for Sen’s work with impoverished communities and his commitment to human rights including 2008’s Jonathan Mann Award by the Global Health Council. Ironically, the doctor, who suffers from a serious heart condition, has been denied the right to medical treatment of his choice by the judiciary and the jail authorities. Fears that he may be the prospective victim of an ‘assisted death’ while a prisoner of the Chhattisgarh government are urgent and real.
Since Sen’s arrest, a swelling tide of protest in India (most notably the peaceful Gandhian satyagraha outside his Raipur jail) and across the world has publicized the Indian state’s dirty war on dissent, and sought to exert pressures towards Sen’s release on bail, pending a fair and swift trial. Recent solidarity initiatives have included demonstrations in London, San Francisco, New York, and Washington; letters of protest signed by Nobel Laureates, academics and civil liberties activists; and an Early Day Motion in the U.K Parliament. A protest organized by the U.K. Release Binayak Sen Now campaign outside the Indian High Commission in Aldwych, on 14 May 2009, will mark the second anniversary of Sen’s incarceration. We urge readers to join us in the protest. Sen is only one of hundreds of individuals who have been unjustly branded ‘terrorist’ by the Indian state, but the campaign against his imprisonment can act as a rallying point around which we may be able to construct campaigns against the brutality and lies that sustain the Indian state’s variant of the ‘war on terror’.
Priyamvada Gopal, University of Cambridge.
Aditya Sarkar, School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
Dwijen Rangnekar, University of Warwick.
(Academics, and members of the Release Binayak Sen Now campaign)

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Land protest chokes artery

Tribals up in arms against UCIL project

Villagers of Talsa protest against UCIL’s land acquisition bid in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Sakchi. Picture by Srinivas Jamshedpur, May 20 : Traffic movement was disrupted for about two hours at the Old Court Road in Sakchi this afternoon as tribal villagers staged a demonstration against a land acquisition drive by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL). The villagers from Talsa started gathering in front of the deputy commissioner’s office from 10am. Armed with traditional weapons, the agitation of the tribals spilled over to the Old Court Road, choking the arterial link to National Highway 33. Long queues of heavy vehicles were seen on the road. The agitators with placards and banners were up in arms against the PSU for its land acquisition drive. Earlier, UCIL, through a public notice issued last month, had informed the villagers of its land acquisition drive. The company proposes to acquire 276.62 acres for its tailing pond project. The tailing pond will be used for dumping waste generated from UCIL’s Banduhurang mines. “We are not going to part away with our land and would not even hesitate to organise sendra of outsiders and company officials. The rally has been organised to inform the district administration of our decision,” said Talsa village chief Durga Chandra Murmu. He also claimed that more than 1,500 families would be affected if lands were acquired. Murmu said that Section 144 was imposed by the gram sabha after a meeting of villagers held at Bada Talsa on May 10. According to Murmu, a large patch of agricultural land would be acquired by the company for developing the proposed tailing pond. “Most of the villagers are dependent on agriculture and would not gain anything form the mining projects. We don’t want to lose our land, which is the only thing tribals have been left with,” added Murmu. The villagers demanded that the deputy commissioner should come out of his office for receiving the memorandum. They rejected the police officers’ plea to submit their memorandum to sub-divisional officer Kartik Kumar Prabhat who was present at the spot. After much persuasion by Prabhat and police officers, the villagers agreed to submit their memorandum to additional deputy commissioner H.N. Ram who arrived at the spot. “We have taken the memorandum and would look into the demands made by the villagers. The issue would also be brought to the notice of governor, to whom this memorandum has been addressed,” said Ram. UCIL officials could not be contacted for comments on the issue.

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Jhabua: An ideal tribal district

Children and women have civic sense as they do not commit nuisance in open near the villages. The villages of tribals are ideal and role model for emulation- Sunil Salve

History says the Aryas, who migrated to India, knew how to reap crops and domesticate animals while Dravids [tribals] were very ignorant indeed about the same. As a result, Aryas put the tribals in the shade and subjugated their lands while chasing them away.

Contrary to belief as of today, the tribals appeared to be more aware than Aryans- living in urban sprawl- of maintaining Indian tradition, customs, culture and environment.

The Bhil tribals of Jhabua and newly created Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh have assimilated into a sense of maintaining hygiene and sprucing up their villages. Ancient real Bharat can be found and seen in the villages of these districts.  

It seems that there is no need of Nirmal Gram scheme of state government as they are already Nirmal Grams [neat and clean villages].

The children and women have civic sense as they do not commit nuisance in open near the villages. The villages of tribals are so ideal and role model for other multi-class and castes villages of states in the country.

On the one hand, people of urban are riddled with rampant materialism of modern society and amassing wealth and money so as to lie on the lap of luxury and they have to suffer consequential loss of moral values while tribals believe in austere way and abstain from cravings so as to make life happier. Traditional religious beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle in tribal districts.

The urban people are of the view that tribals are backward but as a matter of fact that the people of cities are backward as they are losing humanitarian love and sensitiveness towards humanity.

Tribals believe in fraternity and peace while urban life is engaged in reviving hatred and creating communal tension with a malice aforethought of establishing  one's religius hegmony over the multi-religious society.
Humanity still exists in rustic culture in tribal districts but innocent tribals are exploited by political and religious indoctrination.

During the visits of Gram Panchayats in these districts, this journalist came to notice that Hindu hardliners are imposing Arya culture upon the traditional tribals while Christian missionary is proselytising their Christianity among the innocent tribals. Now, both these are posing a threat to original and an ethnic culture of the tribals of this country.

Positively, revenue related disputes are seldom found among the tribals. Land related disputes among them are settled amiably. They believe in peace, serenity and in the concept of live and let live.  

The farmers of the district are mainly depending on kharif crops. The geographical situation of the area does not allow stemming the flow of rainwater on rolling lands.

The tribals of the district remain in the villages during rainy season until they reap kharif crops. For the rest months, they migrate to urban sprawl to eke out an extra living.

The farmers are held in high esteem for the impression of hardest works. They are used to live in powercut at ever regular intervals. Tribals brave torrid hot to work whereas people of urban will be unable to acclimitise rustic life. There is also major contribution of the farmers for the building of nation as far as heavy construction work is concerned in various parts of the country.

Washim Akhtar a senior IAS officer who was Collector during the period from 1998 to 2001 in Jhabua, found out the crux of migration that was leisure time after the cultivation of kharif crop.

Firstly, district administration launched a drive to dig out ponds as well as work for water conservation. Farmers were asked to save water for rabi crops in well, ponds and through stop dams in order to moisture drought lands. The drive gave a tremendous impact with fruitful result of rabi crops. The tribals started taking two crops instead one at various places.

The tribals are becoming aware themselves of imparting education to their children and generating more earning sources by cultivation.

However, migration goes on but it decreases to some extent where water is available. This article has been penned by the journalist after visiting more than 75 Gram Panchayats of Jhabua and Alirajpur districts.

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Siddis to the rescue of trees

SIDGAON (Sirsi): Depleting forests, species bordering on extinction and rapid clearances for to development projects. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot that is home to some of the rarest animals and insects, is under threat, with over 15 plant species on the verge of dying out completely. Primary among them are the spices and agarbhatti varieties, that are feared to soon disappear completely from these rain forests, that are truly a visual treat.

While different small and big movements have attempted to steer attention towards the Ghats, some indigenous tribes are now taking up conservation work to revive these dying species. A number of Siddi (tribal) families, migrants from the coastal town of Yellapur settled in the dense patch of Sidgaon, have taken up conservation work. The tribal women are setting up nurseries and planting wild species. They have planted thousand of saplings of five varieties, including Canarium Strictum (a rare variety of incense), Garcinia Indica or Kokum and some wild pickle mangoes.

There are just 40 to 50 trees of Canarium Strictum left in the zone, says Prakruti project coordinator Mahabaleshwar Hegde. The endemic species are the most vulnerable. Not just trees, even grasses like Hittalande that grow in swamps are almost extinct due to impacts of climate change. Trees like Matti are flowering two months before the scheduled month, changing the entire cycle of flowering and fruiting.

"Tribes like Siddis live in close proximity to forests and their knowledge is more in-depth. We need to respect their traditional knowledge and help them get market access for the forest produce so that they can earn as well as sustainably harvest the forest produce," said Appiko Movement leader Panduranga Hegde. According to him, the impact of climate change on the forests, especially forest patterns, are very drastic indeed.

"We walk 20 to 30 km everyday to find some of these trees and during rains it's difficult because our legs are full of leeches. But there are not many takers for the forest produce. We sell it in different cities through NGOs and get some money. The untimely rains have affected the forests hugely," said Venkataraman Siddi, a member of the community, who is actively involved in conservation work.

Recently Hydroxy citric acid, a fat reducing medicine, was found in Uppage, after which it has become popular in the international market. "Since it is an endemic variety and there is a huge hype about organic fat reducing methods, it is fetching a good price. We send it to Europe and America," adds Mahabaleshwar.

The tribals, originally forest collectors from Africa, don't remember anything of their culture today. They are being taught to harvest medicinal plants like Tinaspora, Aloe Vera, Asparagus and others. "India is our country now and these forests are our home. All we remember of Africa is our dance - dhamani," says Venkataraman.
The dying species
* Cinnamon - over-extraction and wrong harvesting

* Uppage (Garcinia Gummigatta) - over-extraction and lopping of the branches instead of removal of the fruits

* Kokum (Garcinia indica) - very little regeneration as seeds are taken away for commercial purposes.

* Canarium Strictum or Dhoop - over-extraction.

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It's Tribal all over

One of the biggest fashion trends around the world this year is the tribal trend. Accessories play an important part in everybody's life and it represents your personality and style. Being a stylist and fashionista, I love all kinds of accessories. From Native American earrings to Indian embroidered shawls to African necklaces, it's tribal again! It’s a fusion of ethnic blend with modern time. You will find plenty of beautiful accessories depicting the tribal fashion trend.


Tribal design shawls

Shawls are embroidered in tribal designs and it's a great way to accent your wardrobe. Basically embroidered shawls are from India. They are created by handloom weavers of Kutch region of Gujarat. These beautiful shawls come in a variety of colours from pastels to bright. It is wonderfully rustic and primevally appealing. They make perfect evening shawls. And above all, the embroidery is unique and exotic. Tribal shawls or scarfs are a perfect way of making a small acknowledgement to this trend.

Wooden beaded necklaces

Necklaces made from large, chunky wooden beads are a great example of the tribal trend. These necklaces go well with everything from casual attires to evening wears. If you are not much of a necklace person, then you can try wearing it on your hands like a bracelet and that really makes a fashion statement.

Tribal bangles

Bangles and cuff bracelets are hot right now. This accessory would look great with plain colour dresses. To highlight these bangles, go for a darker coloured top like black and make sure that you don't wear other chunky earrings or necklaces and that would look bizarre. When you wear a big chunky ornament keep the other accessories minimal so that it helps to emphasis only the particular accessory.

Turquoise and feather

Turquoise accessories are quite in, this season and they are basically inspired from the Native American region. Turquoise accessory complements any casual outfit, whether they are beaded earrings or chains, it goes well with denims and t-shirts. Feather fashion earrings are also very popular this season. The colours and texture gives a new rage to the personality and it’s so in trend.

Tribal design rings

Pop into any accessory shop and you will find tribal design rings. The tribal collection features unique designs from around the world that have a native or tribal feel or motif. This stainless steel ring would make a great gift for the man in your life. It's inexpensive, trendy and yet funky.

African necklaces

Look for African necklaces created from bronze, beads and other stones. Wear a heavy metal or a beaded necklace and team it up with linen white kurtha or a white short sleeved shirt. They are very cool and casual for college-goers and it gives a chic look.

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Television for tribals by tribals

Jharkhand People’s Party chief claims his satellite channel is not for politics

SUMAN K. SHRIVASTAVA

A grab from johartv.com Ranchi, May 8 : DMK boss M. Karunanidhi launched one as a vehicle of his political ideologies. AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa followed suit to polish up her public persona. And, now, the southern surf has reached the east with Surya Singh Besra, the president of Jharkhand People’s Party, planning a news and entertainment channel. But unlike his political predecessors, Besra’s channel, aptly christened JOHAR TV, will greet the tribal audience with an entire gamut of programmes, including news and family soaps. He also claims he won’t use it as a political tool. “We have applied for a licence and are planning to launch on June 30,” Besra told The Telegraph. He said news and other programmes would be aired in Santhali, Mundari, Kurukh, Nagpuri, Kurmali and Ho. Being touted as the first entertainment television for tribals, the multilingual satellite channel will also air programmes in Hindi in parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Johar though a tribal greeting term, JOHAR TV is also the abbreviated form of Jollywood, originated, home network, art & culture, regional television. Besra, who is its managing director, said the channel would be headquartered in Delhi, with working offices in Lucknow and Jamshedpur. Among those sounded out to be in the board of directors were tribal ideologue Ram Dayal Munda, former assistant director of Anthropological Survey of India Pashupati Nath Mahto, Lucknow Time TV director Rajesh Kumar Sidhartha and television personality Sashi Shekhar Verma. The Jharkhand People’s Party leader said that the basic purpose was to use media to save the culture of an indigenous society. “Our aim is to tell the world why Jharkhand was born in the first place,” Surya Singh Besra, who played an important role in the Jharkhand movement in the late Eighties and early Nineties, said. In 1991, he had resigned from the then Bihar legislative Assembly to take forward the movement for a separate state of Jharkhand. The leader, who had founded the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (Ajsu) in 1986, said that funds would not be a problem for his new venture. “There are people in Lucknow and Delhi who have shown interest. We will hold a meeting on May 13,” he said. Besra is certain that there would be no dearth of skilled manpower either. “There are so many qualified tribal boys and girls. Some are freshers while some associated with other organisations. They can run the show with ease.” On a politician’s venture into the entertainment sector, he said it was nothing new. The Congress entered the satellite channel business with Jai Hind TV in Malayalam. It was launched to counter the CPM-affiliated Kairali TV. In Tamil Nadu, political parties have long owned major channels, like the DMK’s Sun TV, Jayalalithaa’s Jaya TV and PMK’s Makkal TV. “However, JOHAR TV will not be used as a political tool. It will be more on the lines of regional channels such as Mahua TV and Hamar TV, which promote the Bhojpuri language and culture,” he said.

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