Live
- Over 7,600 Syrians return from Turkiye in five days after Assad's downfall: minister
- Delhi BJP leaders stay overnight in 1,194 slum clusters
- Keerthy Suresh and Anthony Thattil Tie the Knot in a Christian Ceremony
- AAP, BJP making false promises to slum dwellers for votes: Delhi Congress
- 'Vere Level Office' Review: A Refreshing Take on Corporate Life with Humor and Heart
- Libya's oil company declares force majeure at key refinery following clashes
- Illegal Rohingyas: BJP seeks Assembly session to implement NRC in Delhi
- Philippines orders full evacuation amid possible volcanic re-eruption
- Government Prioritizes Welfare of the Poor, says Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneyaswamy
- Two Russian oil tankers with 29 on board damaged due to bad weather
Migration Woes of Internally Displaced Persons in Telangana
Highlights
Intense violence in Left Wing Extremism affected States has left hordes of local people homeless. The problem of internally displaced people (IDPs) within the Red Corridor is most acute in the areas falling on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border emerging many questions such as why is this exodus happening, what is the situation of these IDPs in Telangana and are they facing any problems for their livelihood and what is the Government of Chhattisgarh doing about this?
Intense violence in Left Wing Extremism affected States has left hordes of local people homeless. The problem of internally displaced people (IDPs) within the Red Corridor is most acute in the areas falling on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border emerging many questions such as why is this exodus happening, what is the situation of these IDPs in Telangana and are they facing any problems for their livelihood and what is the Government of Chhattisgarh doing about this?
.jpg)
From the Bastar division (Bastar, Kanker, Narayanpur, Bijapur and Dantewada districts), which comprises the major chunk of the Danda-karanya region, the worst Naxal affected region in the country, reportedly over 30,000 internally displaced persons(IDPs) have crossed over to the bordering Khammam and the holy city of Bhadrachalam in Telangana. Khammam and Bhadrachalam also form a part of the Dandakaranya region which helps the migrants from Chhattisgarh to identify with the local population in these areas.
According an estimate, about 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), of which 12000 mostly Gutti Koyas are living in 149 villages, are including in 74 revenue villages and 75 temporary habitations mainly in the fringe areas in as many as 14 mandals of Bhadrachalm ITDA of Khammam District. About 3598 IDPs have settled in the tribal sub-plan mandal cherla of Bhadrachalam division, which shares long border with Chattisgarh.
While most of them reside in random settlements, the State Government extends basic amenities to the most of IDPs, but they are uneducated, unskilled and thus fundamentally unemployable in a conventional sense, and become itinerant in search of livelihood. Besides, the IDPs are facing with health related ailments and education needs, since they are residing in temporary settlements and that need to be addressed.
Though the government have provided 763 ration cards and 1664 NREGS job cards to the IDPs in the district, many families do not have ration cards and totally depend on daily rations distributed through NGO- Action Aid and Society for Integrated Rural Improvement (SIRI).
The nomadic nature of the Chhattisgarh migrants causes the district administration to reconsider providing them permanent accommodations and job opportunities under the Central and State tribal welfare schemes. In addition, they are not given the Scheduled Tribes status, and, therefore, cannot avail any benefits thereof.
The IDPs are facing bigger problems from the Forest Department officials because as a result of their migration, the area they settle in face deforestation which adversely affects the State’s mandated forest cover. The latest ‘State of the Forest Report’ of 2011 has indicated that Telangana leads the list of the States which have lost maximum forest cover.
The report puts the loss of forest cover in Telangana at 281 sq km, out of which 182 sq km has been lost in Khammam and surrounding districts. Following this report, the Union Government stated that most of this forest cover loss is due to Left Wing Extremism, especially in Khammam, Adilabad, Warangal and South Koraput districts. This further substantiates the Forest Department’s concerns.
Due to this livelihood for IDPs has become a problem, as work is hard to find, despite being issued MNREGA job cards, as per local conditions, the IDPs have either work as agriculture labourers or resort to forest cultivation, often intimidated by Forest Department.
Obtaining Aadhar card for issue of ration cards is also difficult for these IDPs, as they have no residence being settled in temporary settlements and no panchaythi will clarify that they live under the Revenue Jurisdiction.
Therefore, there is a divergence between the district administration and the forest officials who wouldn’t want the area to become attractive to more such IDPs and would prefer a push-back.
THE Chhattisgarh Government is not taking note of the seriousness of the situation for this kind of migration, which has been happening from Bastar to different parts of the country for many years now.
The tribal’s in Bastar escape to government-run camps as well due to the fear of reprise attacks by the Naxals. Crossing over to Telangana is easier for them because there is no river or border separating the State and they speak the same language.
What is unprecedented is that this migration is becoming permanent and regular phenomenon for Telangnan. Chhattisgarh’s agriculture is primarily rain-fed and thus, after the Kharif season, there is cyclical unemployment resulting in seasonal migration. The peasants are mostly landless and used to go out in search of alternate employment after the harvesting season to the Rabi States like Haryana, MP, UP and eastern Rajasthan, only to return when there is employment in the State. However, since 2008, the people who cross over to Telangana don’t return and search for livelihood options there, and thus becoming a problem for Telangana to provide livelihood for these IDPs.
CONSTITUTIONALLY, if the State Government of Telangna would prevent the movement of these IDPs, they would be denying the IDPs their fundamental right under Article 19 (1) (d) to move freely throughout the territory of India and Article 19 (1) (e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.
The Chhattisgarh Government is liable to safeguard the interests of the STs under Article 46 which affirms the Directive Principle to the State for promotion of educational and economic interests of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections. Bastar is declared a scheduled area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. However, provisions pertaining to the scheduled areas are not properly implemented in the State causing this situation to escalate further.
The Chhattisgarh Government seems that it is not tackling this issue being short-sighted in their approach. While it is true that this large-scale migration from the State into Telangana will clear the area, it will also cause a great loss of human resources from Chhattisgarh.
It is the time for both the Governments to solve the problems of IDPs talking to each other and reaching a consensus. However, it is necessary for the Chhattisgarh Government to address the grave trust deficit and ensure protection of these tribal’s so that they feel safe enough not to cross over to another State. The key to solving this problem is better governance and a dialogue between the two States on dealing with this issue in a more judicious manner.
G.Rajendera Kumar
Next Story
ADVERTISEMENT
