Migrants are Co-Humans: A Probe into Indian

Scenario

--- Richard Lourdu Dass, SJ & Leo Anand, SJ, Arul Kadal Theology Centre,

Chennai ---

1.0 Internally Displaced People

In spite of the citizenship, a large number of the people are

driven away from their homes as displaced refugees within their

own countries for various reasons. Such refugees are termed as

the Internally Displaced People (IDP). Unlike the nomads who

voluntarily migrate, the IDPs are forcibly thrown out of their

own roots.1

The IDPs, in broad terms, could be defined as follows:2

persons or groups of persons who have been forced or

obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual

residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the

effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence,

violations of human rights or natural or human-made

disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally

recognized State border.

1.1 South Asian Scenario

1 Initially Mr. Kumar (42) had the least suspicion on the Sterlite Company as a hazardous unit. But he has the

following to share with us: “We are told to go to a clinic near the plant, where a doctor provides free consultation

and medicine to show that the company really cares for us. But it is a move to fool us because almost all household

have syrups and large strips of tablets, which have become part of staple diet because at least four out of five

persons suffer, form ‘a lung disorder’. The industry cheated us; they claim to provide employment to over 3,000

people, none out of them are form this region but north Indian migrants. Many people in the village had damaged

the enamel of their teeth after using the ground water in their region. We have lost our land and livelihood.”

2 UNHCR Document E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2, dated 11 February 1998.

From 1950 onwards there were riots against the Tamils in Sri

Lanka. By 1996 the number of IDPs was around 800,000.3 After

the Tsunami on 26 December 2004, the number of IDPs shot up

again. And further, the so-called war against the LTTE has

targeted the Tamils to be ruthlessly massacred in large numbers.

And the surviving ones are kept in captivity under threat to life

in temporary tin sheets behind barbed wires in subhuman

conditions.

In Bangladesh shrimp cultivation has left the land irreversible

for agricultural purposes and thus has forced the people from

agrarian sectors to hunt for other means of livelihood in their

displaced localities. When they migrate to the cities, they have

to shift from one slum to the other quite often as industrial

laborers and rickshaw pullers. In Nepal the decade-old conflict

between the Government and the Maoists has displaced nearly

70,000 people. The ongoing political crisis has hampered the

peace settlement and durable solution for displacement people.4

“In Burma (Myanmar) there are around 503,000 due to the

internal conflict in Myanmar and the government repression of

the ethnic minorities. Afghanistan has 132,000 - 200,000 IDPs,

mostly in the south and west parts of the country, due to fighting

between NATO and Taliban-allied fighters. Indonesia has

200,000 - 350,000 IDPs due to fighting between the government

and secessionist rebel movements. Pakistan has more than

400,000 IDPs at the end of 2008 due to ongoing conflicts in

three regions of Pakistan. The Philippines have about 300,000

3 Cf. Calcutta Research Group, Voices of the Internally Displaced in South Asia- A Report, Kolkata, 2006

4 Cf. Ibid.

IDPs due to fighting between the government and communist

and Islamic rebels.”5

1.2 Categories of Internal Displacement in India

1.2.1 Due to Political Conflicts & Secessionist Movements

Since independence, North-East India has witnessed two

major armed conflicts – the Naga Movement primarily led by

the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, and the Assam

Movement by the All Assam Students’ Union and now largely

by the extremist United Liberation Front of Assam. The violent

and retaliatory responses from the Government and other forces

opposed to the secessionists continue to generate a steady flow

of displaced people.

The ‘war’ between State and the militants in Kashmir and the

the killing of Kashmiri Pandits by fundamentalist secessionist

groups create the widespread anarchy leading to political

instability and the continuous violation of fundamental human

rights and large scale displacement.6

1.2.2 Due to Naxalite Movements

In central India, displacement is on the increase due to clashes

between Maoist insurgents (commonly referred to as Naxalites)

and Indian security forces and government-supported militias.

Such clashes proliferate with alarming intensity during the past

few years, especially in the states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya

Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Andhra

5 "Global Statistics". IDMC. http://www.internal-

dsplacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpPages)/22FB1D4E2B196DAA802570BB005E787C?OpenDocument&c

ount=1000. 6 An estimated 250,000 from among the Kashmiri Pandits are said to have migrated to Jammu and Delhi.

Pradesh. The conflict has brought a wave of killings, human

rights abuses and widespread violations against women in the

affected areas.

“Discrimination against the tribal population (the Adivasis),

displacement by large development projects and government

failure to ensure food security have been the main reasons for

the rapid spread of the Naxalite movement, according to an

independent study released in June 2009.” 7 The Dantewada

district in south Chhattisgarh is the hardest hit by displacement,

more than 45,000 civilians – the majority from Salwa Judum-

friendly villages. “One source says that 100,000 people have

been displaced altogether.”8

1.2.3 Due to Development Projects

More than 21 million people are internally displaced due to

Development projects in India. Although the tribals makes up

only 8% of the total population, more than 50% of the Tribals

are displaced in the name of developmental projects. 9 “The

government continues to use the 1894 Land Acquisition Act to

displace indigenous peoples from their lands without sufficient

compensation”10

The first dam on the Narmada River, the Bargi Dam which was

completed in 1990, reportedly displaced 114.000 people from

162 villages and today irrigates only 5% of the land claimed to

7 SAAG, 13 June, 2009.

8 MI, 23 January 2009.

9 According to Human Rights Watch, Indigenous peoples, known as Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis, suffer from high

rates of displacement. They make up 8 percent of the total population but constitute 55 percent of displaced people.

Between 1947 and 2010, it could be well projected that the number of displaced people who have been denied

rehabilitation could be as high as 60-70 million people.

10 HRW, January 2006.

benefit. Most of the evicted got no compensation for lost land

and livelihood. The construction of the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir

has been the most contested so far.11

1.2.4 Due to Natural Disasters

Floods and other natural disasters also displace millions every

year. The Indian Ocean tsunami, which hit southern India in

December 2004, devastated the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

and a 2,260-km stretch of the mainland coastline in Andhra

Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. An estimated 2.7

million people were affected by the disaster and hundreds of

thousands were displaced .Indian-controlled Kashmir was also

badly affected by the South Asian earthquake in October 2005,

which rendered thousands of people homeless.

1.2.5 Due to Land Grabbing

In the name of achieving rapid economic growth, India has

invested in industrial projects, dams, roads, mines, power plants

and new cities which have been made possible only through

massive acquisition of land and subsequent displacement of

people. 12 The so-called Development projects and illegally

pollute and irretrievably poison our natural resources.13

11 The official estimation in 1979 of the number of families to be displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir was

about 6,000 but in 2000 about 42,000 families (about 200,000 people). However, this figure is strongly contested by

local activist groups.

12 According to the Indian Social Institute, the 21.3 million development-induced IDPs include those displaced by

dams (16.4 million), mines (2.55 million), industrial development (1.25 million) and wild life sanctuaries and

national parks (0.6 million).

13 Cf. Samarenra Dass, Out of this Earth, has the following to tell us: “each ton of Aluminim is produced with 12000

kwh electricity and smelting the same one ton requires 13500 kwh electricity emitting 13 ton of carbon dioxide and

other green house gases. To produce one ton of Aluminium, 1300 ton of water is consumed. This water is stolen

from the people, who are deprived of water, life and livelihood. Kalahandi district is one off the worst hid districts in

the country in terms of hunger and starvation death” as quoted in Vandana Shiva , A Life-giving Hill , Deccan

Chronicle 8th September 2010.

1.2.6 Due to SEZ

The major problem in the establishment of the SEZs is the land

acquisition by the government for the private developer. The

land acquisition is being made under the Land Acquisition Act

of 1894. The SEZ Act 2005 marks the acquisition of land by the

state for “public purpose” and the transfer of the ownership of

this land to private developers. The phenomenon of neo-liberal

growth in the “competitive” “free market” enclaves of SEZs in

India that threaten to dispossess and displace thousands of

people of their livelihoods, cultures and lands, in the exercise of

“public purpose” handing their land over to private corporations

for economic growth and development that too in the name of

“greater common good of all” .

2.0 Kill-life Developmentalism

“There are 186 villages in Sriperumputhur (Tamil Nadu)

belt. But there are 488 companies are located in that area

itself”14. The establishment of industries has sapped the vitals of

the people at large. “The evil consequences of mining and

establishment of industries everywhere in large numbers,

especially it the agricultural and forest land deprives them of

their means of livelihood and eventually forces them for out-

migration and taking up other non-agricultural occupations for

which majority of farmers, tribals and rural people are not

trained or qualified.” 15 People lose their only means of

livelihood and bring most backward they cannot adapt to other

occupations, particularly outside their environment.

14 Ibid.

15 Mahim Pratap Singh, “Reluctant Migrants”, Frontline, September 10, 2010, p 98.

Hence here is a paradox created in the philosophy of

development. The vision of development creates

impoverishment and then the state proceeds with the poverty-

alleviation programmes (like NREYA) and of late, National

Rural livelihood Mission (NRLM). It is like “First excite the

devil and then practice exorcism”. Is it not a ‘National Shame’?

As against the tall claims of the growth rates the alarming rate of

number of the poor and the immigrants keeps on increasing.

3.0 Struggles of IDPs

3.1 Working condition

The migrant labour is employed in construction of buildings

bridges roads etc., as well as in basket weaving, leather,

domestic work and sanitary work. They are migrants from

Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal,

Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. From Andhra Pradesh, Orissa,

they migrate as families. They are subjected to economic and

physical exploitation of the employers, and no labour laws are

adhered to.

They are recruited through middle men by contractors with

advances and paid very low wages. They either live on sites or

live outside in huts put up by contractors, with no amenities. The

children have no child care or educational facilities hence do

sibling care or guard the home and accompany the parents to

work. They are housed in huts of size 6’x10’ with no basic

amenities such as drinking water, toilet or street lights. Since

they take advances from employers, the latter deduct the interest

from the wages. Thus they receive paltry wages. Provided with

no ration card nor voter card or basic amenities, they belong to

other states and speak different languages.

There have been 31 fatal accidents involving migrant

construction labourers in Kancheepuram district as per the

police response to a query under RTI. Also, they are subjected to

atrocities and many kinds of harassments including physical

beating verbal abuse and sexual harassment. The women

workers when they are alone in at night while men are at night

work, they are subjected to sexual assaults. Sexual harassment in

terms of teasing, double meaning talk, physical abuse, are

regular occurrences.

Since the migrant labourers have difficulty in expression in the

local language and are illiterate or have low level of literacy,

they are unable to question or oppose the employers. The

migrant women labourers feel scared and shy to express the

harassment and difficulties. The workplaces cannot be accessed

by trade union or organizations nor do the officials from Labour

or Health Education or Revenue Department visit these work

sites.

3.2 Conditions of Women and Children

The migrant women labourers go to their native places for

delivery of the first child while the second and other pregnancies

happen even in the labour camp. There is no prenatal or

postnatal check up or disease prevention steps such as TT,

Triple antigen etc carried out since there’s no census of pregnant

women taken in the sites by VHNs. Very often the babies are

born without any medical help on the construction sites. Labour

camp child birth and lack of immunization indicate total lack of

basic health care. These births are not accounted for and the care

of VHNs and PHCs are not available to these women and

children.

Since the living areas of Migrant Labourers, whether on

sites or outside, have no toilet facilities, open defecation takes

place and the waste water and household garbage stagnate in the

surrounding areas. So they suffer from diarrhea and dysentery

and especially children’s health is affected due to unhygienic

environment. The local bodies do not take any step to clean the

areas or spread disinfectants.

The small children upto 5 years are neither looked after by

Anganwadis nor by the contractors hence the children roam

around on the site and along with older children. Nutrition

immunization and pre school education are denied to these

children. In every big construction site 25-60 children can be

seen roaming on sites. Due to lack of nutrition, they look thin

and emaciated, anemic and with skin disorders, cold cough and

respiratory problems and jaundice.

These children are not admitted to Anganwadis. The

women workers cannot take care or breast feed the children

since they go to work for long hours hence older children look

after the young ones. As per the provision of Contract Labour

Act 1970 and Building and other Construction Workers

(Regulation of employment and conditions of Service) Act 1996,

if more than 50 women workers are employed, crèche should be

run by the contractor otherwise by the principal employer and

cost deducted from the contractor’s bill, but this is not

implemented.

Since the older children look after the young ones, their

education is also affected Also, the children playing in

hazardous environment in sand and steel, in puddles and un even

surface can lead to accidents and ill health.

The migrant labourers and the children are affected by

respiratory disorders due to cement dust, brick and sand dust.

The children also eat mud and are affected in various ways on

these sites. But there’s no medical care or treatment or even

medical camps on the sites.

4.0 Humanizing the IDPs

In the recent past the growing trends of internal displacement are

not predominantly caused by natural calamities but the so-called

Developmental projects. The IDPs legitimately seek for aid and

relief on the one hand and rehabilitation on the other as the

rights due for the citizens of any state. They need own lands for

livelihood and legitimacy. Having pleaded enough with no

results, they experience the frustration leading them to mild

protests to vehement confrontation with the state and other

powers that be. These displacements are none other than gross

violation of human rights. How on earth the people of good will

could put an end to the atrocities of forcible internal

displacement and protect the human rights of the IDPs? In

dialogue with some of the life-giving sources, let us look into

the possibilities of humanizing the IDPs.

4.1 Searching for the Lost Sheep

In the parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15: 3-6), who and what

made the sheep go astray? All animals possess the instinct to

protect their lives. they are endowed with the natural urge to

hunt for food and water, and to protect the food from intruders

and guard them from their own use. They are always under the

pressure that comes from other members of their own sheep and

the competition that comes from animals of other species. As

they enter the grazing field the strong and bigger animals use

their physical strength to prevent the weaker animals. In this

struggle the weaker ones get pushed away. Those pushed-away

are forced by the pressure of hunger and thirst and run to find

food and water. It is the stronger animals who pushed aside the

weaker ones in order to make the green pasture exclusively for

them. Thus the lost sheep is made to get lost. In today’s context

the lost sheep are the IDP’s. Many coastal regions and tribal

regions in India are being given for the mining to many

Multinational corporations of the industrial countries. This

eventually affects millions and millions of the fisher-folk and

they will be pushed out of their livelihood. The MNCs conquest

of our shores, which many of our state governments enable the

industrialized nations to accomplish in today’s India intensifies

the poverty of our people and drastically enlarge the number of

IDP’s, who are pushed to the margins of human existence. When

Vedanta, POSCO, green field airport and dams will be

completed, millions of the poverty-ridden people and tribals in

North India will lose their land and houses. They will be for4ced

to find place in the slums of Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai and

Delhi and other metropolitan cities of India are full of the IDP’s

(lost Sheep) the victims of India’s development. One of the

founding principles of the Indian constitution is that the state has

the responsibility to create the economic structures that would

provide opportunities for the development of the disadvantaged

sections of the society, but under the regime of MNC’s our

country is being forced to withdraw form giving any assistance

to economically weaker sections of the people. It affects the

social security of large number of people and they are pushed

away from their own soil. And so they become the part of the

lost sheep.

The parable of the lost sheep is a powerful gospel message that

challenges the Indian Government and MNC’s. The IDP’s (lost

ones), who lost their land; house and livelihood are loved by

God and cared by God. The challenge for the Church in India

today is to be with Christ –Good Shepherd who seeks the lost

sheep (IDP’s). In terms of the resources acquisition and wealth

accumulation, the human economic history is not much different

from the parable of the lost sheep. Before sixteenth century-

colonization, the economic life of the world was different from

that of the world lived in tribal like situations in the rural areas

and in small towns. Most of the population lived a simple life in

self-sufficient village. Most of the people were poor, but they

were not destitute. Poverty and destitution are very different

from one another. Destitution is a situation marked by the total

inadequacy in shelter, clothing and food. Destitution is a modern

phenomenon, which first appeared in the cities. Now, it has

reached the villages.

4.2 Enough with Atrocities against Dignity of Migrants

The book of Genesis and Psalms bring out insight that the

human community has to relate to the rest of the human beings

in responsible and harmonious manner(Gen 1 :28-30). But has

happened in Orrisa, Gujarat, Kashmir , and other parts of India

is entirely opposite to what humans are made for. Even animals

are not aggressive to their kind but the happening in different

parts of India and Asia tell is that no animal could ever be so

cruel as humans 'artfully' cruel e.g., cutting a woman, seven

months pregnant in to pieces, and burning a twenty year old girl

alive burning 20 year old boy alive. The basic needs of the

human being include rights to life, food clothing , shelter,

medical care, social security , freedom of conscience, safe

working conditions and private property. The violence in

the different parts of the world has taken away all the basic

necessities that affirm their dignity and well being. When we

violate the rights of our own neighbours we sin against God ( Is

1:23-25) because rejection of the ones own neighbour is a

rejection of God himself. (Ezek 18: 3-12). In the New Testament

the law of God and the love of neighbour are intrinsically related

(Mat 22:34-40). Thus the violence in Asia has violated God's

design of ensuring peace and well being of humanity and in

particular it has violated the dignity, shattered the harmony and

destroyed the well-being of the people.

The victims of war and riot are forced to live in social exclusion

when discrimination is done in the name of religion, the victims

need to be told that the God who has called then to be Christians

is a God who saves them in and through the suffering and death

of his own son.

He is a God who works with us and leads us to freedom in and

through our experiences of abandonment and brokenness

and apart from it . Thus the victims are to be told that "God is

our refuge, and therefore we will not fear" ( Ps 46:1-2) .God

comforts the fear-gripped victims saying "Do not be afraid, I am

your shield" (Gen 15:1)

4.3 Definite Divine Option for Sojourners

The ideal of the pre-monarchic period was that Yahweh was the

true owner of the land and all the Israelites were his tenants.

The monopoly of land in the hands of a few is contrary to the

will of Yahweh. "During the time of the divided monarchy

ownership of the land passed move and move into the hands of

the wealthy elite. The new land owners brought further pressure

on the peasants by converting the small grain lands of the hill

country to vineyards and olive groves. This provided marketable

commodities for a lucrative commerce." 16 The new era of

globalization has made all the natural resources like water,

mineral, and forest as commodity to make huge of money.

In Amos, the condemnation of Judah (Amos 2:4-5) is due to

their infidelity and idolatry. It is with Israel that the Lord starts

enumerating the various misdeeds (Amos2:6-8). The sins

mentioned are the poor along the lines of counting the

impoverished as less humans and non-humans. The weak are

counted by the powers that be as of the low birth to be

discriminated against. Yahweh will intervene on behalf of the

people who are deprived of their rights. Yahweh is going to

punish them for their ungrateful behaviour. Yahweh has been

lavishing up on them. Amos, in his further denunciation of the

people of Israel, singles out another sin, they store is in their

Castles what they have extorted and robbed. When Yahweh

visits Israel the punishment predicted is luxury houses like the

winter houses and the summer houses will be struck down. In

the first woe uttered against Israel (Amos 5:5-17), he mentions

the fact that the poor were taxed unjustly. The rich people built

mansions of carved stones; planted beautiful vineyards, indulged

in bribery denying justice to the poor. The rich and the powerful

tampered with judiciary (Amos 5:15; 5:24).

In today’s context the poor, tribals and dalits are denied justice

because the rich politicians and the MNCs are law creators

enjoying all privileges ‘lying upon beds of ivory, eating the best

16 Jacob Parappally, Antony Kalliath, Theology of Economics in the Globalised World, Asian Trading Corporation,

Bangalore, 2010, p. 53.

food, enjoying music’ (Amos 6:4) . The Tribals are cheated

during land transaction by giving very low amount of money

and false promises and eventually driven out as migranst. But

God has definitely opted for the Tribals and impoverished

migrants (Isa 51 :19). The oppressed shall speedily be released,

they shall not die and go down to the pit nor shall they lack

bread.

4.4 Gandhian Vision of Economic Development

Today, we see that the society has witnessed far-reaching

changes in the political, social and economic life of the people in

the world. Modernization, mechanization, industrialization,

westernization and urbanization have produced massive changes

in the society. This change had been accelerated

unimaginatively beyond the expectation of humankind. This

change has positive as well as a negative impact on society.

However, the change has brought many comforts and has

increased the standard of living of the people. But in reality,

when the growth rate of change increased the human suffering

has also increased proportionately and thereby society witness

as conflict among people. The increasing gap between groups

will continue to harm the harmonious living condition of the

society. The existing development path not only disturbed the

harmony of society but also affected the relationship between

humanity and nature. In the name of quick development, natural

resources have been exploited to the level of causing imbalance

in the order of the cosmos. There is also an exploitative

development of culture for the advantage of a few individuals,

societies, and countries at the cost of many individuals, societies

and countries. Now, an attempt is being made to identify an

appropriate path to achieve equity in growth and development.

Humanity has to utilize natural recourses at an optimum level

without causing any damage to the environment provide with

ample opportunities for the employment for the people, and take

into account the cultural social and economic welfare of the

people.

Gandhian model of development addresses the problems of

modern development that we face today in the world. Sarvodaya

model of development is not confined to any particular society.

It is applicable to all the societies of the world. It is unfortunate

that the Gandhian model of development is not perceived

properly.17 This approach is always inclusive and it takes into

consideration all the activities of humanity. He sees labour as a

constant interaction between humanity and the nature for the

betterment of the people. This is a holistic approach that never

excludes any aspect of the development process. It focuses on

the sustainable development and preservation of the ecosystem.

His approach is completely oriented towards perfecting the

individuals rather than the system. Moreover, he never relied on

organizations and institutions created above man for regulating

humanity. 18 Gandhi’s concept of economic development

envisaged optimum utilization of recourses for the need of

humanity.

The conception of economic development envisioned by

Gandhi involves a process of natural social evolution by which a

human being is perfecting himself internally and externally,

moving in a continuum of activities in making use of the

17 “I do want growth and I do want self-determination. I do want freedom, but I want all these for the soul. I doubt if

the steel age is an advance upon the flint age. I am indifferent. It is the evolution of the soul to which the intellect

and all our faculties have to be devoted. A plea for the spinning wheel is a plea for recognizing the dignity of

labour.” M.K. Gandhi, Young India, October 13, 1921. 18

M.K. Gandhi, Harijan, p. 76.

institutions and nature. Human beings and their institution can

make use of nature for satisfying their needs but if it is for greed;

it causes injury to nature.

4.5 Development is Sarvodaya (for all)

Any economic developmental activity should take into

account the human needs namely, the somatic needs- those

needs that arise out of human basic survival requirements- food,

clothing, shelter, adequate transport facilities and medical care.

Poietic needs are those which are related to actualizing one’s

potentialities and capabilities in determining what is to be

produced and how is to produced and fulfilling ones heart

desires, Ecotic needs are that which is essential for one’s health

life in the environment. Noetic needs are that which is

important to decided and discern with proper knowledge and

wisdom.

Sarvodaya focuses on human beings as the center of social

and economic function of production and distribution in the

village societal context. His views of Society are as follows: 19

• All able-bodied people should be employed in production

of goods and services needed for the community. The life

of the individual must center around a productive activity

• The Community as a whole should be engaged in not only

economic production but also in matters of law, order, and

justice.

• Authority and its dispensation arise from within the local

community and not from a national and state capital.

19 Rajaratanam., Development and Environmental Economic : The Reference of Gandhi., p. 45.

• The Management of resources vital to community life, like

water, forests, and other natural resources, must be in the

hands of the local community and not within distant,

impersonal, and authoritarian government departments,

which only become sources of corruption and exploitation.

• Production should essentially be on a small scale and need

based.

• Education is oriented to productive function of the

community, which will then avoid unemployment of the

educated, which now number more than 30 million with the

consequence proneness of youth to violence.

• Production is essentially for the domestic market.

• People learn to live in harmony with nature, promoting and

protecting the local environment and encouraging

production of goods and services , meeting the needs of the

community and prevention of waste of resources.

• Local alternative energy should be used. As production and

distribution is basically related to a smaller region, the

demands for energy must be met by locally available

materials.

• Capital skills and machinery, need to support the

decentralized production and distribution of goods and

services.

• Science and technologies must be adapted to devise tools of

production and distribution in such a way that the

environment is not tampered with.

4.6 Rays of Hope

The High Court order to shut down the Sterlite plant in Tuticorin

has come up in time. The local people suffered lung disorder,

eye irritation and other pollution effects like the effluent

affecting the fish availability in the coastal area near the industry

directly intervening with their health and livelihood. They had

lost their lands for a cheaper price than what they were promised

earlier. They were promised jobs but were not given as they had

north Indian labourers working for a cheaper labour. Thanks to

the efforts of Anti Sterlite Movement headed by B.M.Tamil

Manthan that they strived to get justice before things could go

worse.

“Tata Steel’s ambitious titanium dioxide project that involved an

investment of Rs.1200 core and acquisition of nearly 12,000

acres of land in Sattankulam-Kuttam stretch in Tuticorin and

Tirunelveli belt was shelved following stiff opposition from

locals and political parties . The Nanguneri special economic

zone (SEZ)located around 60 km from Tuticorin airport in the

neighboring Tirunelveli district too failed to take off and

government officials say it is in the process of being revived

only now.”20

“Navdhanyo Trust organized the independent people’s tribunal

on land acquisition, resource grab and operation green Hunt in

New Delhi from 9th to 11th of April 2010 to show that the

corporate state was violating the constitution and law. This led

to public hearing in Jharkand on 7th and 8th of May 2010.”21 This

led the government withdraw the conditional clearance that had

20 Mega Project run into Problems in Tuticorin, TheTimes of India, Chennai, Thursday , September 30, 2010 p 8.

21 Deccan Chronicle 8

th September 2010

been granted to Vedanta. It is a combination of many forces that

put pressure on the government to stop the mining in Niyamgiri.

“Niyamgiri is a victory for the Earth Democracy” both because

it has protected the Earth and because it grew as a democratic

process from the ground up. Niyamgiri was test for democracy’s

ability to stop corporate misrule and terror. It was a test of

humanity’s ability to respect the rights of Mother Earth. “We

have passed the Niyamgiri. It is now necessary to extend this

victory to every place where land, water, Tribals, Dalits, women

and Mother Earth are threatened by MNC’s and resource

grabbing corporations”22. The success stories tell that the dawn

for the IDPs is not far away. “I will restore the fortunes of my

people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit

them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they

shall make their gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them up

on their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out the

land that I have given them.” (Amos 9:14 -15). Let this divine

promise be fulfilled in our own life-time!

4.7 Eco-friendly Development

Economic activities should be of eco-friendly and enhance

living condition of the people. Economic development should

not be at the cost of the nature. Nature is the mother who

sustains the all beings of the universe. It is an imperative to

safeguard the perennial fountains of life sources of nature. In

any case, the mother earth should not be exploited to meet our

greedy needs. To live in harmony and sustainability, nature has

to be the partner in human life. Human and nature should be in

symbiotic association and complementary to each other. Human

22 Vandana Shiva , A Life-giving Hill , Deccan Chronicle 8

th September 2010.

being and nature both are inseparable union like body and soul.

The development of the people indispensably depends on the

nature-the environment. As long as nature is in enhanced healthy

condition, it enhances the life of the people. For our fore fathers

nature was also the self-revelation of the divine.

5.0 Intervention on Behalf of IDPs

• Panchayat Extension to the scheduled areas (PESA) Act

‘ should be made wide known to the people ( gives decision

making power)

• demand the government to re-endirse the fundamental right

to property”1947 right to property was recognized under

Article 19(f) of our constitution”

• India has no national IDP policy targeting Conflict Induced

IDPs and the responsibility for IDPs assistance and

protection is frequently delegated to the state governments

so we must demand national policy for IDPs.

• Creation a strategic approach to providing information

about the mega projects and its adverse effects.

• Education about public hearing and make the people to

attend without fail.

• Making the people to have clear understanding about the

public hearing

• Ensuring the decisions taken are based on evidence as per

the legal standards.

• Every person (or ) group that wishes to speak has that

opportunity.

• Joining hands with the environmental activities and support

for the sustainable development and environmental policies.

• Promotion of the social institutions to play its role in

bringing about a peaceful world community.

• Celebration of the biodiversity as against the tendencies of

homogenization of the flora and fauna.

• Guidance on how through a range of different activities to

prevent and respond to the protection risk faced by the

IDPs.

• Facilitating the IDPs to return to the place of origin-if

possible or at least final resettlement (a different locality) is

our goal and wish for the IDPs.

• Land which couldprovide livelihood and legitimation will

bring forth humanized way of solving the IDP crisis.

• Shifting of the focus from profit-oriented luxury to

production oriented Economy. The struggle for survival

and the manual work and ethos of labour of the majority

have to get importance than the recreational activities of the

minority elite.

• People centered participatory process of development has

to replace the accumulation of money in the name of public

good and rational security.

• The culture of egalitarianism as the fundamental nature of

the humanist (option for the least) has to come instead of

culture of competition , rat race , blood shed , violence as

the order of the day( might is right).

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Shiva, Vandana , A Life-giving Hill , Deccan Chronicle 8th september

2010

Deccan Chronicle 8th September 2010

www.internal-displacement.org

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