Government of
Recently we had some news reports, that the Government of India is under “serious” preparations to wage a full fledged offensive against the Naxals in the supposed “Red Corridor” states of the country. The problem of Naxalism has been there for a while now, and I do agree the view expressed by PM Manmohan Singhji, that Naxalism is the biggest Internal Threat that the country faces as of now. Media reports suggest that HM Chidambaramji has taken a pledge that he would not allow the country to be taken over by the Communists, and has resolved that he would wipe out Naxalism from the Land.
While this is a welcome step by the Home Minister, displaying some steel resolve to defeat the naxals, by launching a full scale offensive against the naxals … I would suggest the Government to be a bit cautious in the matter … as its essentially a Mixed Bag of Crackers, and you never know what type of crackers are present in that bag … if you try to lit it, without care and caution … This certainly has the potential of burning the fingers of the Government.
Problem of Naxalism and Maoists.
Time and again, history has shown that when a segment of people are oppressed by some powerful people, and these powerful people perpetrate some injustices, which cross all limits of patience of that segment of oppressed people … then those “oppressed people” take to arms, and wage a war against those “oppressors”.
Naxalism is the result of the same injustices and oppression perpetrated by the Powerful and Wealthy, on the Poor people.
These “tribals” live their “traditional lives of their ancestors” in jungles … and they face brutal attacks on them … in the form of inhuman treatment to them, their near & dear … their women and children are ill-treated by those in the “power”.
The lands of these poor tribals are forcefully taken away from them, by the “People in Power” … in the disguise of being “Government Officials”. And when the tribals refuse to forego the “Lands of their Ancestors” … the “People in Power” like the Police Officials side with those with the Government Officials … and these poor tribals end up in jails being subjected to “police atrocities”. In some instances, we find these “people in power” take advantage of the helplessness of tribal women and children, treat them inhumanely.
And what happens? … Some “opportunist groups” like the Communists Party of India (Maoists) … convince these Poor Oppressed Tribals to come into their fold … thereby making the problem of the Naxalism and Maoists … a gigantic one.
Forests and Climate Change.
Please let me divert my argument from Naxals problem in
Studies have shown that there is a direct link between Forests and Climate. When we have huge forest cover, it surely mitigates the ill effects of the CO2 that causes the Green House Effect, which results in the Climate Change, which we are now witnessing, worldwide.
So, I am completely appalled to note that huge forest covers in the country are giving way for mining.
The powerful corporate lobbyists and land mafia, find it very remunerative to expose these lands and make them naked, by chopping off the forests covers, and mine them for some economic benefits.
And in this world of globalization/industrialization, we have always seen that companies (native or foreign) are given the “rights” to clear these forests and mine, and/or set up factories for making Iron and Steel … to cater to the “global consumption” of these “essential metals”.
I pose a general question to all those world leaders, who want to clear forests and mine the forest lands across the world, to get some economic benefits … don’t you think these very forests mitigate and help to combat the climate change, by inhaling vast amounts of Co2 … and making these forest’s tree trunks fatter with carbon.
Moreover, the result of some four centuries of indiscriminate releases of Co2 in the atmosphere by the Western Countries … courtesy the Industrialization that they started … will surely have some effect on the climate change.
To give my understanding of the problem of climate change, a twist … its like the Mother Earth or Goddess Bhudevi … has only limited stamina to withstand the vast amounts of Co2 … that “we the humans”, her children … have been releasing around her, for the past four centuries … and when she can no more withstand the ill effects of vast amounts of Co2 … she gives a big sneeze … the consequences of which, are for us to imagine and ponder over.
And what we are doing currently, instead of ensuring that we “urgently” undertake massive afforestation programmes around the world … we are indiscriminately destroying the forests … mining the land … making the Mother Earth more stressful !
And instead of stopping the deforestation of forests around the world, with immediate effect, the world leaders scramble around like headless chickens, conducting some “Climate Change Summits”. Uffff!!!!!
Leave the Lands of Tribals to themselves
Coming back to
While it’s still debatable as to whether or not … we have caused immense harm to Mother Nature, beyond limits, with irreversible consequences … we can be never sure, when she unleashes her fury at the misdeeds of the Human Race on her.
I just want to ask one question the “Democratic Government” of this country … how can you take away the forests and lands of people … whose ancestors have been living-in for innumerable centuries. The tribals are known to be forest dwellers, and they are known to be nature lovers. Who can have more knowledge of forests and the know-how to conserve them, than the tribals of these forests, who know it all.
Moreover, I find it very hard to swallow the tactics of the Government, to use some unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and modern weaponry, against these poor tribals, who use some country made pistols. If the government is very eager to test their newly developed UAVs, then there are other ways of “testing” them, not on the poor tribals.
Understanding Democracy.
I am an Indian, and like any other citizen of this country, I am also quite proud of the democratic form of government that this country has.
But one thing I don’t understand … how can one, in the name of Democracy … take away the lands of people whose ancestors have been living-in for innumerable centuries … merely for some economic benefits, that last for say one generation, or two generations at the most.
Presently in the Indian Constitution, the stress is made on the fact that “each and every citizen of the country” is “equal”. So, based on this some “handful of citizens who are powerful”, want to mine and clear off forests, and thereby “displace huge numbers of tribals and forest dwellers”?
Is it not that, the word “democracy” means taking the “interests of each and every community” in the country into consideration … and taking them into confidence?
The candidates, in the elections to the government … “beg” each and every vote … and try to win hearts of their voters, and convince them to vote for them … and the validity of these votes last for only 5 years.
What it means is that, the voters are “taken into confidence” … and their interests are given due priority by the candidates and in turn by the government.
How can the government and its servants … in the name of “democracy” … take away the traditional way of life of these tribals, by taking away their lands? … You don’t “force” a community in the name of “democracy” … you “take them into confidence” before any decision.
It’s pretty clear … that the tribals don’t want to leave their forests. Why interfere in their lives? … Oh! The modern western educated economists, want to give them a “good way of life”? … So, they want to turn these very areas into many cities, which actually aggravate the problems of pollution and climate change.
Then where will the forests go? … Who will grow the food grains that we eat … if all these people in the villages and tribal areas are “forced” to live in cities?
I certainly would want to live in a village or a forest … for I think it’s a peaceful life … with clear water and air … and no pollution. It’s a blessed life indeed.
When some people don’t want the “western way of life” and the “western money making habits” … why force them, to give them that life.
The Problem of Maoists and Communists
Having said that the lands of the tribals should be left with them … I certainly want the “Leaders” of these Maoist organizations to be dealt with strictly.
I guess, it is these leaders and the “Ideology of Communism” … that really aggravates the problem of Naxalites and Maoists.
So, you want to take these Leaders to task … fine!
But before that … the way the government and the democracy functions in this country … has to change for the better. No corruption. Take all communities into confidence.
The ball is in the Government of India’s Court … what it wants to do in this matter. It’s because, the problem inherently lays in the way the Government functions in these “Red Corridor Areas”. The problem inherently took root, from the “branches of the government”.
Does the government want to wage a war against its own people? … Or the government would be happy to leave the forests to its native tribals.
If the government “lights the wrong side of this bag of crackers” … it would certainly result in the “burning of fingers” of the government.
Vamsi.
17 November 2009
