As more and more communities wake up to their traditional rights and human rights — both of which are being threatened by modern development projects — the world witnesses a rise in the number of democratic resistances. Governments will ignore these resistances and demands at their own peril.

Let us take the example of Andhra Pradesh. The government of Andhra Pradesh has acquired 340 acres of village common land, 70 acres of temple land from the endowments department and 500 acres from the local gram panchayat — China Mambattu of the Tada Mandal in Nellore district — to set up a special economic zone (SEZ). Some private industrialists have purchased another 100 acres of agricultural land in the vicinity and 400 acres of the SEZ are being given to Apache to set up a shoe factory. Three hamlets of the panchayat, N.M. Kandrika, China Mambattu and Peda Mambattu, are being affected by the SEZ. These villages are inhabited by weavers, shepherds, barbers, washermen and women and Yanadi tribals.

The most vulnerable among these are the Yanadis, because they do not own land and are thus ineligible to receive any sort of compensation for the displacement caused by the SEZ. For projects like these, the question of these communities whose livelihoods do not depend on farms but on natural resources and community property resources, is very crucial.

Bandi Polamma, a Yanadi community member, says that because the land is being sold off they are losing their daily wages. The water bodies too are either being taken over by the company or are being polluted, as a result of which fishing is becoming increasingly difficult as a livelihood option. Moreover, since Apache is now erecting a fence, it is becoming difficult for the Yanadis to access the forest which is a source of firewood for them. These tribals used to earn a part of their income by selling the firewood they collected. So the shoe company is seriously affecting the lives and livelihoods of these people.

The local community being displaced was promised jobs, education for their children etc., promises which turned out to be false. The displaced people have now been left to fend for themselves, with only two women being taken in as sweepers by the shoe factory! The people feel let down and at a public hearing organised in Nellore on January 31 this year by the Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union and Andhra Pradesh Matsyakarula Union they expressed their intention to wage a struggle for their basic rights. Earlier, a public hearing organised by the government on January 6 turned out to be a sham as no one was allowed inside the hearing.

The people are demanding that every family displaced by the SEZ be provided two acres of agricultural land with irrigation facility within panchayat limits, a housing site with low cost houses built by the government, fishing nets worth Rs 3,000, one bicycle and a compensation of Rs 10,000 per annum for the next 25 years.<

At the same public hearing, people from the Midderevu village of Muthukur Mandal of the same district voiced their woes: 1329.43 acres of land in three panchayats,  Krishnapatnam, Muthukur and Thamminapatnam are being acquired by the government to set up the Krishnapatnam Greenfield Port and Krishnapatnam Ultra Mega Power Project. The village of Midderevu is next to Kandaleru creek and Bay of Bengal. The land along the seashore is used to park boats, nets, catamarans etc.

People use common plots of land for cattle grazing and firewood collection. They have also planted ten acres of casuarina trees along the seashore. The village was hit by the 2004 tsunami and is only beginning to recover from the economic shock caused by the disaster. And now, in violation of CRZ regulations, the villagers are being asked to cut down the casuarina plantation. They are being asked to resettle at a distance of seven kilometres from the seashore, with the local district collector promising jobs for every youth. The 180 families living in the village, including 20 Yanadis, mostly depend on fishing for their livelihood.

They are surprised that they are being asked to stay seven kilometres away from where they fish. Fish move in groups and the colour of the sea is to be watched regularly to determine when to start fishing operations. If they have to shift, where will they park their boats and fishing gear? In addition, they would have to buy wood and fodder, which would impose an extra burden on their income. Midderevu’s people also face the dilemma of repaying the Rs 38 lakhs they had taken as loan from fish merchants in the post-tsunami phase on the condition of supplying their catch.

People of Midderevu would not get any compensation because they do not own any agricultural land. Fishing has been their traditional occupation. But the existing legal framework doesn’t recognise fisher people’s right over the sea for payment of compensation.

The people of Midderevu are determined that they will not be displaced before the promises being made to them are fulfilled. For each family displaced they want 2.5 acres of agricultural land, a house constructed at a cost of Rs 1 lakh, a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for foregoing the right to fish in the sea, and adequate compensation for all plantations in the households and along the sea. Collectively, they want the government to repay the loan amount of Rs 38 lakhs on their behalf to the fish merchants, to construct a fishing harbour for the safe parking of boats and gear and provide basic infrastructure like roads, drinking water, electricity, schools, community hall etc., at the resettlement and rehabilitation site.

Dr Sandeep Pandey is a recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award (2002), former faculty member of IIT Kanpur and leads the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) in India. This article was published in the Deccan Chronicle

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