Victims of Development: Tribals begun ‘Hunger Strike’ for survival

Ritesh Mishra

BHOPAL - The land acquisition for power projects in Madhya Pradesh is causing problems to more than 1000 kol tribals in Dabhaura region in Rewa district.

These tribals are dependent on the jungles for their livelihood and two thermal power companies - Videocon Group and Nitin Thermal Power has bought about 3000 acres of land in the region. Since, these tribals are landless and already living in misery, they will have to either migrate or face hunger.

The affected families have now decided to go for indefinite hunger strike from June 20 against the administration and thermal power companies for their various demands.

“We will go for the indefinite hunger strike against the government till our demands will be fulfilled” Ram Naresh a tribal leader of the area said.

Notably, more than a thousand Mahua trees were cut in Dabhaura tehsil of the district and about 10,000 more trees will be targeted in next few months by the Videocon Group.

Ironically, tribal minister Vijay Shah of Madhya Pradesh has declared the year 2011 as Mahua year, which is seemingly on calendar, and nothing has been done to save to the Indian tropical tree.

Ram Naresh further said that more than a dozen of tribal families have already refused to hand over their land to the companies.

“There are very few tribal who own a land piece most of them are dependent on the jungles and if these jungles are logged then what will happen to these 1000 landless tribals”, he lamented.

Notably, the land of about 18 villages has been bought by these two companies and the compensation was also given arbitrarily. “I don’t know how they are distributing compensation. People who have sold their land did not get adequate compensation. Moreover, their cheques have also bounced”, Ram Naresh said.

The tribal leaders of the area and other organizations have demanded action and investigation in the whole issue.

“The logs of the trees are being illegally transported to Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) openly but the SDM says that he has no information about this act.  There are about 10000 more Mahua trees in 3000 acres land of the plant that will be axed in next few months”, Jagdeesh, Director of Panchsheel Sewa Sansthan Dabhaura said.

Interestingly, the SDM of the area has confirmed that no permission of the logging of trees have been taken by the company till now.

Siya Dulari, who is working for tribal rights in the area, said that it is a matter of deep concern and no one is taking cognizance.  The livelihood of the more than 1000 tribal families is on stake as they are totally dependent on the jungles of the area.

“The tribal of about 18 villages, which comes in the acquired land, use to sell Mahua leaves and fruits for their daily earning. If the trees were logged they will definitely migrate, which in turn increase malnutrition in their families and also they have to face the affects of migration”, she added.

She further lamented that medicinal plant in the area will be extinct in this tree logging.

The other point of concern is that the medicinal plant—Fen-- is main sources of earning for these landless tribals and in any act of deforestation and development they have face serious consequences

The villages facing problems with these power projects are- Dabharoa , Chipiya , Geduraha, Magadaur , Chunagee, Ataurai , Bhuvan , Khandu , Bichihar , Devpuja , Banjaria , Gonta , Mudfore   and Sonadabhar.