Impacts of Government Policies on Sustenance of Tribal ... - Samata

About This StudyNeedTribal communities in the Eastern Ghats <strong>of</strong>India, as in other parts <strong>of</strong> the country, havebeen able to survive on the land and forests.While many <strong>of</strong> them have existed inimpoverished conditions, in times <strong>of</strong> distressthey have been able to fall back on theirnatural resource base. Traditional mixedcropping systems have helped meet theirneeds <strong>of</strong> food security to a considerableextent. In recent years certain governmentpolicies and programmes have beenintroduced with the objective <strong>of</strong> improvingthe social and economic conditions <strong>of</strong> theadivasis. These are expected to impact thelives <strong>of</strong> the tribal communities and theenvironment on which they are dependenton in more ways than one. Two suchdecisions that are <strong>of</strong> significance in theEastern Ghat area <strong>of</strong> Visakhapatnam districtin the state <strong>of</strong> Andhra Pradesh are c<strong>of</strong>feemonoculture and the proposed bauxitemining. Monocultures might improve cashincome, but it is important to understandwhether tribal communities have thewherewithal to deal with the vagaries <strong>of</strong> anopen market and to what extent incomes arereally being augmented. In addition, theeffects <strong>of</strong> monocultures on the biodiversity<strong>of</strong> the region and in turn the food security <strong>of</strong>the tribal people are also areas <strong>of</strong> concern.Mineral resource extraction is seen asimperative for the nation’s development,and while this true to some extent, what oneneeds to consider is the cost in terms <strong>of</strong>lasting and irreversible environmentalimpacts as well as the effect on the economyand social fabric <strong>of</strong> the tribal communities.The primary objective <strong>of</strong> the study is thus tounderstand the impact <strong>of</strong> governmentpolicies and programmes on sustainability<strong>of</strong> tribal peoples livelihoods against thebackdrop <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee monoculture andproposed bauxite extraction in the EasternGhats <strong>of</strong> Visakhapatnam district, AndhraPradesh. While advocacy is an importanttool to secure tribal peoples’ rights,strengthening it with empirical evidencecollected in a scientific manner can openfresh avenues for dialogue. This will aid theprocess <strong>of</strong> exploring viable alternatives tohelp improve living standards <strong>of</strong> thesecommunities and at the same time safeguardthe biodiversity <strong>of</strong> the region. In addition itwill enable the communities make informedchoices on developmental issues directlyconcerning their lives and livelihoods.MethodologyBoth primary and secondary data collectionare included in the study. Primary datacollection was done from three sites throughindividual personal interviews, as well assmall group meetings. Two <strong>of</strong> the sites—Beespuram and Nimmalpadu—are locatedin Ananthagiri mandal, Visakhapatnamdistrict in Andhra Pradesh, while the thirdsite is located in Damanjodi, Koraputmandal in Koraput district <strong>of</strong> Orissa state.While residents <strong>of</strong> Beespuram village,located on the foothills <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> theproposed bauxite extraction sites, undertakeboth c<strong>of</strong>fee cultivation and traditionalagriculture, the adivasis <strong>of</strong> Nimmalpadugrow traditional crops on their lands. AtDamanjodi the interviewees were those whohad been displaced as a result <strong>of</strong> theNational Aluminium Company (NALCO)project, and this case study provides insightsabout a community impacted directly bybauxite mining.Secondary data was collected from variouspublications—reports, journals, newspaperarticles, books, etc—as well as from theinternet and websites <strong>of</strong> organisations. Thesecondary data includes analysis <strong>of</strong>Constitutional safeguards, legal framework,violations and proposed policy shifts thatare <strong>of</strong> relevance for the communities andenvironment. Samata, an advocacy andsocial justice organisation, and Adivasi2