While few support groups continue to call for more democratic processes to prevail, the governments continue their offensive in Chattisgarh that have violated fundamental rights and derailed democratic processes. Within this context, perhaps a way out?

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R.P. Nene, Shanta Ranade, Anant Phadke, Milind Chavan, Suhas Kolhekar, Abhay Shukla are a group of citizens in Pune who are trying to raise awareness of the violence in Chattisgarh and its impact on democracy in India in general and specifically on tribal communities. The government machinery - both at the state and the central level, has violated numerous rights of people with respect to being arrested as well as process for justice. Numerous other groups in other states as well as globally are similarly drawing focus to the inherent injustice as well as the violation of democratic processes.

In an earlier note, I had pointed to the context of the current state of affairs - pointing to the violent cycle in which the indigenous communities in Chattisgarh (and elsewhere) find themselves trapped. Decades of exploitation (to which the state and central government have turned a blind eye when they themselves have not led it) have impoverished and destroyed tribal communities. In this vaccuum of justice, the Naxals have found space to bring in their dangerous ideology and have used violence against anyone who has opposed it. The government has countered with as violent a backlash - driven by Salwa Judum. In a process that is not human but primarily driven by the state's need to control resources, people from indigenous communities - who were never recipients of the welfare of the state - now find themselves being sacrificed.

I had also pointed out that numerous groups have questioned whether this has been a conspiracy by the governments to remove indigenous peoples from the land under which lies trillions of dollars of minerals - ready to be mined by large corporations. Except that these communities have been unwilling to move - knowing that there will be no rehabilitation and that there only way of sustenance (that has served them despite continued exploitation and oppression) will disappear. And in the current situation where governments have allowed if not abetted exploitation, and continue on this path of violence, it is difficult for the government to deny a conspiracy. 

Within this situation, Himanshu Kumar's efforts provides one ray of hope. Many in India recognize this and have come to raise awareness about his efforts. The group from Pune is one such. In their note, they point out:
We are all aware of the process of corporate land grab, state backed violence in form of Salwa Judum and large scale displacement of adivasis in South Chhattisgarh. In that state, persons who have consistently raised their voice against this repressive situation have been harassed or detained by the Government, without any legal basis – Dr. Binayak Sen and Ajay TG being prominent examples. Many others have been facing similar repression from the Chhattisgarh state, which intends to obtain the mineral-rich land of adivasis, and lease it to large corporations. Instead of addressing the basic issues being raised, and moving towards just solutions, the state has decided to silence each and every dissenting voice by branding such voices as ‘Maoists’ or ‘terrorist sympathisers’.

The latest victim of this repressive regime in Chhattisgarh is ‘Vanvasi Chetna Ashram’ (VCA) led by Himanshu Kumar, a Gandhian social worker who has founded this ashram in Dantewada over 17 years ago. He and his team had been fearlessly exposing the large scale killings, rapes, burning of villages and massive displacement being unleashed on the adivasis of Dantewada by the State-backed ‘Salwa Judum’ vigilante force. Several VCA activists had been attacked or harassed during the last five years, including serious threats to Himanshuji.

It may be recalled that the administration bulldozed and razed to the ground the premises of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram (VCA) on 17 May 09, on flimsy grounds. On 10 December 09 (Human rights day!) the police arrested a VCA volunteer named Kopa Kunjam and a lawyer Human Rights
Law Network Alban Toppo, and severely beat them up in police custody. Although Alban has been later released, Kopa remains in jail under trumped-up charges and another VCA volunteer Sukhnath has also been arrested under the draconian Chhattisgarh State Public Security Act (CSPSA). It is widely believed that Kopa Kunjam is being targeted because he exposed human rights violations by the security forces, including the killing of 15 Adivasis at Singaram on 8 January 09 and killing of three Adivasis in front of the Matwada police station on 18 June last year.

Further, the district administration prevented a peace march being organized by the VCA on 14 December at Dantewada, which was attempting to highlight the atrocities on adivasis and the need to resettle them back in their villages. Volunteers were forbidden from joining the march by Salwa Judum activists brandishing arms.

In response to this entire situation, Himanshuji has started an indefinite fast starting 26th December. His appeal is given below. It may be recalled that Himanshuji had addressed a public meeting in Pune on 1st November 09, where he had described the situation in Dantewada in detail, and had appealed to the citizens of Pune to express solidarity with the adivasis suffering from violence and repression.

In this situation, all democracy-loving citizens and those working for social justice and people’s rights need to raise their voices in protest against the suppression of basic democratic rights in
Chhattisgarh, which appears like a social laboratory whose violent ‘experiments’ may be tried out in other states in the future. Solidarity actions are being carried out in various cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and a Global relay fast has also been initiated. In this context, this is an appeal to all, to join the solidarity and protest programme being organized in Pune by a number
of organizations as follows:
Poster exhibition, mass contact programme and distribution of pamphlets
Date and time: 4th January 2010, 4 to 6 pm
Place: Near Pune Municipal Corporation bus stop, in front of Mamata restaurant

The government - in proceeding in its current path - has already put numerous democratic processes at risk. No different than violation of democratic processes that resulted from poorly thought out strategies of the Government in Punjab or Assam. These have taken the country to extremely close to a break down of its democratic ethos. This one threatens to as big. 

The government has to find a path that provides for democratic rights to the indigenous people of India threatened by Naxal and government forces. It has to provide people the ability to access the rights and the processes that allow for a life of dignity within their own goals. At the same time, it is unlikely that the government (or the corporate houses salivating at billions upon billions of dollars of minerals) are going to accept a situation that does not result in mining these minerals.

One possible path looks viable. In presenting this option, I do not claim to represent the indigenous people. Nor do I represent government agencies. I do not claim to know as much about the conditions on the ground as numerous individuals and organizations that have been working directly. At the cost of looking foolish or straying into a realm I know little about, I present this possible path in hope that it might provide for a way to negotiate a situation that maintains the dignity and the rights of the indigenous people, recognizes the spirit of Articles 5 and 6 while also acknowledging the 'momentum' to mine the trillions of dollars of minerals.  

This path could recognize the spirit of Articles 5 and 6 - that indigenous peoples have an inalienable right to this land that cannot be taken away or exchanged. If any industrial activity recognizes this and allows them to continue to hold the right, it could perhaps request for mining rights in return for a certain royalty to these communities. In all other states (and situations), the government has the right to this royalty. Thus, POSCO pays its royalty to the government (central and now state) for mining iron ore. In this case, perhaps a certain fraction of the royalty would go directly to the panchayats affected by mining. This money would be collectively used by the gram panchayat. The details of the use could be worked out based on demographics, land use and land holding patterns, migrancy etc.

Further, in continuing with the ethos of ecological stability and using the precedence of mining activities in Canada, extensive survey would define the ecological landscape of these communities today and the mining companies would have to replenish the ecological landscape to the same state at the end of the mining efforts.

Besides respecting the ethos of Articles 5 and 6 and the land rights of the indigenous people, this model would also recognize the rights of the people in participating in the 'development' of the country - truly participating in the gains that the country claims to make through mining of trillions of dollars of minerals. It would help provide for infrastructure to these communities (schools, hospitals, etc) in a way that is consistent with their own values and arrived at through internal democratic processes. 

And in one fell swoop, it would annul the basis of Naxal activity and bring an end to the current stream of neverending violence.

- Sanat Mohanty