We strongly believe that the Hon’ble Members of the Planning Commission are not naïve that they not know or understand this. In addition the issue is one of pilferage of development resources by means of Fraud and corruption from top to bottom and from bottom to top- A new trend. The issue of Development revolves more around Peace and not Prosperity, today.

For us it is Dandakaranya Centered:

Veteran Dr. B.D.Sharma suggests to all who respect the Constitution of India and the National Commitments given as supreme over all other guidelines given even by the Government to them. The wisdom of Hon’ble members of the Planning Commission lies in asserting this supremacy in a suave manner.

It must be honestly recognised that over all these sixty years the Government has by default broken their own Solemn Commitments, promises and constitutional provisions. The very confession of these by just taking remedial measures hear and now would not only establish the credibility of our Government of India but also become decisive antidote to Maoists violence and drag them to the path of Peace talks to give up arms, which is crucial for Tribal Development.

What is needed of Planning Commission is to draw from Gandhi the guts and wits to be proactive and put the Constitution above all the other directions and guidelines received by them through a painful process of active persuasion and passive control through the sane forces in the Government.

1. At the outset, we must agree that morally and even legally the Planning Commission is incompetent to do planning for all scheduled tribal areas including Dandakaranya. Dr. B.D.Sharma has not referred to the solemn National Commitment given by our beloved Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to the Tribals popularly called Panch Sheal.

However, Planning Commission could and should assume a role of facilitating the Panchayaths and their clusters at Mandal and Block Levels to do their planning as per the Constitution and LAW by Demonstration, Hand Holding and Withdrawal process.

The Commission could in a subtle manner risk to draw upon themselves the role of just monitoring the maintenance of Accounts at every level without corruption and fraud through a semi-statutory authority of “Professional Internal Accounts and Audit as an ongoing process and accountable only to Panchayath President, the Panchayath and ultimately the Gama Sabha” and maintain the records transparently. .

The Central and State Governments could issue non binding guidelines and hold mutual consultations to share the wisdom and National Priorities. Of course any statute framed and passed by the Government may have a rider of responsibilitising the Panchayaths to implement them, mandatorily. Of course, the Constitution is binding upon the Panchayaths, also.

2. The inbuilt deception- was it subconscious or conscious? Making teeth less or nominal or just a ritual and therefore redundant, the Contitutional provisions of the role of the President, Governors and Tribal Advisory Committee, by carving out the boundaries of States and even the Districts, wherein the Tribal People living in the scheduled agency areas are made in minority.

It may open a new Pandora box if the States are reorganized and it may not be now needed if the following measures are implemented.

· The Districts should be exclusively made of the Agency areas only in every State.

· We need to demarcate Autonomous Development Councils of Adivasi/Tribal Communities living in contiguous areas cutting across the State Borders, like Dandakaranya where Koya Communities are spread in the four States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. President as an emergency measure in the present context of Maoists and State Violence could directly manage these Councils through Additional Governors. The Tribal Advisory Committees should be decisively guided by Anthropological/Sociology Professionals and the Departments of nearby Universities. They will also act as Advisor to the Additional Governors and the President of India.

3. Above all, stop linking Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribals. Their issues are totally different and it is mischievous even to look them together or call them both as Dalits.

4. The Scheduled Tribal Population will not require any reservation. They will not require funds in very short time, if their constitutional provisions are restored. They will be and need to contribute to the National kitty, which must be defined and worked out.

5. The Above measures read with the enclosed letter of Dr.B.D.Sharma if implemented as an emergency measure for first years as an experiment, will go full way to resolve the issue of violence in the area within the parameters of the constitution. We will have Prosperity with Peace and Justice.

Emergency and immediate (To us the suggestion is seen from Chinthur Mandalam, Khammam District of Andhra Pradesh and Tribal centered) :

In the past three days we have again heavy rains and it is pathetic sight to see the already harvested paddy and other crops getting destroyed before the eyes of farmers. We see this as “two birds in one shot opportunity” which may never come in the near future decades.

While the immediate issue is loss of food and income for the next year, the long term issue is one of Tribal population has left many lift irrigation schemes on the river Sabari- Tributary to River Godavari unused. There are many such existing schemes un-utilized and literally in dilapidated condition. There are equally more possibilities in the area that the Tribal Communities need not suffer now or never to the extreme, as is the case now. On the other hand, they can prosper.

Can the NGREGA be a constructive tool to provide for complete urgent renovation and rejuvenation of all the present lift irrigation schemes and cultivate the second crop? We may have to find some resources for cost of repairs. We are trying to organise the affected Panchayaths to approach the local ITDAs with similar idea. This we are writing to you only to find if you can make certain proactive moves that our request does get immediate attention without small rule points making hitch.

With High Regards and hope that we made our humble contribution that will impact in planning.

V.B.Chandrasekaran.

People’s Peace and Prosperity Mission,

Convener, Dandakaranya SAHYOG Ahimsa Yatra,

Chatti Post, Chinthur Mandalam,

Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh, Dandakaranya,

Pin Code: 507 113. Mobile: 9490109328

Email: verivaan2049@yahoo.com bragadambal@yahoo.co.in antarbharatid2010@gmail.com