dna special: Skewed policies leave tribals out of development equation

In an indictment of the state's policies over the years, a government-appointed committee has pointed to how the development process has worked against the interests of tribals and underlined the yawning development gap between adivasis and people from other sections of society.

The report of the high-level committee under economist Vijay Kelkar on balanced regional development issues of Maharashtra has called adivasis the most deprived, neglected and exploited groups.

Tabled in the recent winter session of the state legislature, it pointed to how the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), which passes through tribal areas, threatens to displace a large number of adivasis. The township and infrastructure projects on the Western Ghats have given rise to complaints of alienation of tribal lands, it noted.

Maharashtra has the largest number of tribals in the country, spread over 15 districts and 80 talukas. They cover around 9.4% of the population and broadly live in inaccessible forest regions of Sahyadris, Satpudas and Eastern Gondwana. The state has 45 tribal communities, and the Katkaris, Kolams and Madia Gonds have been classified as primitive tribal groups (PTGs).

"The developmental frustration and discontent among the tribal people is becoming increasingly visible lately and in certain districts, it has assumed alarming proportions," the report said, in an allusion to the left-wing extremism in regions like Gadchiroli.

The report noted that land alienation and inadequate land reforms, denial of forest and water rights, development induced displacement, lack of employment, cultural and educational deprivation, non-implementation of the liquor policy and inappropriate health care as factors causing destitution.

Poverty among tribals is nearly double that of the state and in terms of nutrition, tribals in Maharashtra are more deprived than the average tribals in India. "In male literacy, scheduled tribes lag behind the general population by almost 20%. Similarly, in female literacy, scheduled tribes lag behind the general population by about 41%," the report said, adding that there was a massive inequality in the per capita income of tribal majority districts and the state average. The school drop out rate of tribal children is also high.

The two tribal-dominated districts of Nandurbar and Gadchiroli rank lower among Maharashtra's districts in the human development index (HDI); in the taluka development index (TDI) computed by government institute YASHADA, the bottom 15 talukas of the 356 talukas in Maharashtra are all tribal ones. "The difference between the topmost taluka (Pune 0.888) and bottom-most taluka (Akrani 0.059) is dangerously high. This is a clear picture of uneven regional development in the State. It is further highlighted by the fact that in Thane district the talukas of Thane, Kalyan, Vasai, Ulhasnagar and Ambernath belong to the top 15 whereas the adjoining five tribal talukas of Mokhada, Vikramgad, Talasari, Jawhar and Dahanu belong to the bottom 15. This is indicative of the lop-sided development in the state and the position of tribal people at the bottom of the pyramid," it noted.

The report also pointed to the tardy implementation of the Recognition of Forests Rights Act, 2006, in the state.

"The scattered data does not fully capture the deprivation, the poverty and the helplessness caused by the lop-sided and uneven regional development in the state. At present, tribal people in Maharashtra are not only the poorest and most disadvantaged section but they are also the most exploited and neglected groups," the report warned.

Panel suggestions
The committee, constituted in 2011 and submitted its report in 2013, wants to achieve an HDI for tribals which will be equal to the state average. It has suggested creation of eight tribal majority districts, land reforms for tribals, overhaul of the tribal development department, setting up of a tribal development index, income generation for tribals, imparting primary education in the tribal tongue and designing a tribal health plan.
It has also suggested imposing prohibition in tribal areas, not allowing sale of liquor within a 10 km periphery of these scheduled areas and banning tobacco products like gutkha.