Mumbai: In Daudi village in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh, the tribals are in conflict with many of the government's projects.
When Daudi village was first transplanted many years ago, the villagers lost the use of the forest as a source of income so they turned to the waters of the Tava where they fished very successfully for about 10 years. However, just a few weeks ago the forest department banned fishing in these waters.
A tribal villager, Rekhiram says he feels like he's been a refugee most of his life. His entire tribal village was first moved out of the forest almost 35 years ago when the Tava dam was being built. At that time the government gave each family five acres of land near the dam site on which they could build homes and start farming. However, the waters of the dam caused more problems.
"Much of the land given to us for farming gets submerged,” says Rekhiram.
The only option left for the villagers is to become migrant labourers. Most of the villagers around the area are being evicted from their homes either for dams, factories or wildlife preserves. They say previous experience has made them distrust the government's promise of re-habilitation.
"The adivasis and the forests cannot survive without each other,” says Leader, Samajvadi Janparishad, Sunil.
Nonetheless, the future is not completely hopeless. Rajkumar bakoria, is one of four children from his village who has moved to a government-funded boarding school, 25 kms away from his village.
"I want to join the Indian Navy and protect my country,” says Rajkumar Bakoria.
If this remaining goodwill is to be preserved, then more important than just land, the government must give the displaced education and alternative viable livelihoods.
Comments
0 comment