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Rajagopals Thoughts | Jansatyagraha 2012 (

2012)

Jansatyagraha 2012 ( 2012)

achieving peoples control over land and livelihood

Divide and Rule a continuing phenomenon

Posted on May 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Rajagopal P.V While mov ing from Kerala to Tamil Nadu as part of my Jansaty agra Samwaad y atra, it has struck me that a hidden politics is being play ed in re-organizing the state. There are sev eral instances where y ou can find the same group of adiv asis div ided into two or more parts and settled in adjacent states. For instance, there are groups like Kuruba, Paniy a in Tamil Nadu Kerala, and Karnataka. Bhil adiv asis are settled in the states of Madhy a Pradesh, Gujarath andMaharashtra. On the hill top in Anaimalai in Pollachi, local adiv asis told me that for them a town in Kerala is much closer than a town in Tamil Nadu. Often there are cross-border marriages as there is only a stream that is div iding two communities. Because adiv asi groups are split between different states it is more difficult for them to organize themselv es as a single v oice. In such a situation main-stream groups keep an upper hand in the politics of the state and hence are able to dominate adiv asis. Any rational mind would recognize that an adiv asi state could hav e been carv ed out of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There could hav e been a gov ernance sy stem where adiv asis will hav e a say in terms of their culture and resources. The languagebased organization of the Indian state has been clearly beneficial to the mainstream and has been detrimental to adiv asis. At the moment, they are constantly in confrontation with the non-adiv asis and are struggling for their own surv iv al. The same thing has already happened in other parts of the country as well. Part of the tribal belt was in Madhy a Pradesh and other part was in Jharkhand and Orissa. It was only after many y ears of struggle that a decision was taken to separate the adiv asi belt into Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. By the time this decision was taken, it was too late and the so called main-stream population was already occupy ing important places of domination. Trav elling to Bundelkhand I hav e seen how a prosperous region was cut into pieces. Part of it is in Madhy a Pradesh and another part is in Uttar Pradesh. Bundelkhand that was at one time prosperous is now the poorest region in both the states. While there are v ery rich feudal lords, one can find large number of impov erished people struggling for justice. When I look at the number of places where y ou find instances of adiv asi groups being split between two or more neighbouring states, I do not think this has happened unintentionally : its seems like a policy of the Gov ernment of India to cut them into pieces to prev ent the emergence of a strong adiv asi v oice.

The reasons for this deep politics of div ision are not so difficult to see. Adiv asi areas are rich in resources like forests, water, and minerals and they are ripe for ex ploitation. The resource rich Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh hav e become pockets of ex ploitation for national and multi-national
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Rajagopals Thoughts | Jansatyagraha 2012 (

2012)

companies. In the name of dev elopment, adiv asis are driv en out of their v illages and this displacement has come to a lev el that there are both non-v iolent and v iolent mov ements try ing to resist it. A total lack of respect for the adiv asi way of liv ing and their relationship with nature has led to constant conflict between the adiv asi communities and the rulers of the state. Iv e seen similar processes of displacement recently in Attapadi. Adiv asi land is being encroached upon by companies that are putting up windmills or others who are establishing resorts. Many plantation companies hav e taken much of their fertile land while the local adiv asis are struggling for 1 acre of land. In this competition for grabbing resources and making money , we hav e lost respect for people and culture. It appears that the so-called mainstream cannot tolerate plurality . Just like inAmericawhere immigrants are ex pected to behav e like Americans, so also here the so-called mainstream Indians will not tolerate any thing other than their culture and their education. Adiv asis are losing their faith in a sy stem that is being managed in the interest of the powerful. Despite their rich tradition and culture they find themselv es in a situation where they are getting pushed into colonies in their own country , getting repeatedly displaced in the name of dev elopment, receiv ing a second class citizen treatment and are getting culturally div ided. Unfortunately this has also led to a situation in which the armed groups are finding a space to grow in the adiv asi belt ofIndia. Ev en at this stage, rather than understanding their problem, rather than finding a solution to their problem, we are try ing to use police and military to address the problem. In a recent workshop organized by Ekta Parishad inRanchi, leaders of adiv asi communities who assembled from different parts ofIndiasaid, in an appeal, that in the name of dev elopment y ou are perpetuating v iolence in our society . When we oppose it, y ou are sending police and military to perpetuate further v iolence into our society . When the nax alites arriv e with their guns in the name of protecting us, they are perpetuating v iolence into our society . Ev ery interv ention by outsiders who do not understand our traditions and cultures makes our liv es miserable. Why cant y ou understand our aspirations and make plans accordingly . The so-called civ ilized society has to learn to take into account the aspirations of people at the bottom whether they are adiv asis, dalits or fisherfolks. A happy and a prosperousIndiacannot be created just by div iding and ruling people. It demands a lot more understanding and respect for plurality .

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Rajagopals Thoughts | Jansatyagraha 2012 (

2012)

Rajagopal P.V. PV Rajagopal (known as Rajaji) is from a Gandhian family and schooling in southIndiaand he came to the northern part ofIndiain 1 97 0 during Mahatma Gandhis 1 00 birth centaury . Rajaji began his work on non-v iolence when he spent 6 y ears working with the dacoits (outlaws) in Chambal region ofIndia. In 1 97 6 more than 500 people gav e up arms and mov ed into settled life and much of this was the result of hard work of Rajaji and others. From here he spent the nex t fifteen y ears building the capacity of rural y outh through training programs and different initiativ es. In 1 993 became the Secretary of Gandhi Peace Foundation, and subsequently was the V ice-Chair. In the mid-1 990s the work of Rajaji was galv anized into a mass mov ement. In 1 999-2000 he began to carry out long-marches across the country in different states. In 2007 he carried out the largest non-v iolent march which was known as the Janadesh 2007 . In this he led 25,000 on a one-month march fromGwaliortoDelhi. In 201 2 Rajagopal will be leading a march of 1 00,000 people to the capital of the nation to demand peoples control ov er land and liv elihood resources.

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