TRIBALS - 2012 - Indian Social Institute

The two-day national executive meet concluded with the resolution of ensuring maximum representation
of the BJP from the 47 reserved parliamentary constituencies in the country. Morcha's national president
Fagan Singh Kulastey admitted that some changes in the act could make it more useful for the tribals .
"We have not studied the act, but as far as rights of tribal for protection of their property are concerned, it
must be in place," he said. The executive committee has also decided to organize a big function at
Mangarh, where over 1,500 tribals were burnt to death by the British rulers. (Times of India 2/3/12)
Survey: 406 houses of Koragas not fit for living (6)
MANGALORE, March 3, 2012: In all, 33 families of Koragas, a Scheduled Tribe, in Dakshina Kannada
are homeless, and 406 houses in which Koragas live are not fit for living, according to a survey conducted
by the State government. As many as 489 families have no sites, the survey found. Koragas are
considered as the most oppressed section of society. Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat conducted the
survey of 935 Koraga families on February 9 and 10in the jurisdiction of 203 gram panchayats, excluding
the jurisdiction of Mangalore City Corporation, according to Y. Shivaramaiah, Assistant Secretary, zilla
panchayat, who is in-charge Project Coordinator, Integrated Tribal Development Project, Dakshina
Kannada. Mr. Shivaramaiah told The Hindu that 33 homeless families lived with their relatives. They were
sharing the houses of their relatives. He said of the 489 families which did not have sites, 305 lived on
government land and 10 on forestland. They did not have title deeds. The remaining 174 families lived on
agricultural land owned by others and worked as agricultural labourers. The Assistant Secretary said that
of the families surveyed, only 446 owned land. He said that of the families surveyed, 406 were in houses
which were not fit for living. They were living either in huts or houses having mud walls in a dilapidated
state. Of the houses in which the families surveyed lived, 298 needed repairs and 198 were in good
condition. Mr. Shivaramaiah said that 477 houses did not have electricity. The panchayat planned to build
houses to the homeless and whose houses were in a bad shape under public-private-partnership. As the
panchayat could not get funds directly from corporate companies, a trust would have to be formed to
receive contributions from the companies. Chief Executive Officer of the panchayat K.N. Vijay Prakash
had sent a proposal to the government seeking permission for constituting a trust. The government's
approval was awaited. (The Hindu 4/3/12)
Tribal development must to curb Maoist insurgency: Jairam Ramesh (6)
Vishakhapatnam, Mar 4 : Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has once again stressed on
the need to secure the cooperation of tribal communities in curbing Maoist forces.Reflecting on the
simmering internal siege across central and eastern India, Ramesh asserted that counter-insurgency
operations had to be supplemented with proactive development initiatives in the backward and tribaldominated
areas of the country. "We can win this battle against Maoist ideologies, Maoist cadres, Maoist
forces, not only through police action. We have to be showing a different development strategy, which is
more sensitive to the needs of tribal communities. We have to have more political action, we need political
activities, political campaigns. Ultimately, we need the cooperation of the people. Unless the tribal
communities are with us, we are not going to win this war on the Maoists," Ramesh told media on the
sidelines of a function here. Ramesh urged Maoists to give up arms and resolve their differences with the
administration through dialogue and be a part of India's political mainstream. "If Maoists want to come
and fight election, win elections through democratic means, not through coercion or intimidation, but
through democratic means, fine, by all means they must be part of the political mainstream. The land of
Mahatma Gandhi cannot become a battleground. The tribals cannot become caught between the
government and the Maoists," said Ramesh. Several analysts and security experts have, at many forums,
suggested a similar two-way strategy to combat the menace, by promoting development in the affected
areas while simultaneously boosting security presence to thwart the ultras. To this end, the central and
state governments have formulated several aid packages and schemes to promote progress and
development in the areas, to ensure the vulnerable tribal and rural populace is not influenced by Maoist