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- Convenor:
-
Ram Babu Mallavarapu
(Central University of Odisha, Koraput, India)
Send message to Convenor
- Discussant:
-
Bikku Bikku
(University College London)
- Stream:
- Borders and Places
- Sessions:
- Wednesday 16 September, -, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
The panel invites papers relevant to the interface between forests and indigenous communities worldwide through the ages from time immemorial / medieval period to the ethnographic present in the context of geographical, political and environmental changes.
Long Abstract:
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) are culturally diversified communities. Land and natural resources they depend on are linked to their identity, culture, ethos, livelihoods, etc. There are about 370 million IPs worldwide covering 90 countries. They constitute about 5% of global population and about 15% of them live in extreme poverty.
IPs own and use about 25% of world's surface area and they are protecting about 80% of world's biodiversity. They have their own ancestral knowledge on how to adapt, mitigate, and reduce climate / disaster risks.
Most of lands owned by IPs are under in the form of customary ownership and only a fraction of this is recognized as legal by governments. Lack of or non implementation of land laws leads to conflicts, degradation of environments, and socio-economic deprivation. This threatens IPs' cultural survival and traditional knowledge practices, and causes losses to ecology, biodiversity and natural environments.
Strengthening governance, improving land rights and supporting indigenous systems for resilience and livelihoods is critical to reducing the multidimensional aspects of poverty they face while contributing to SDGs.
External agencies, i.e. World Bank, IFAD, DFID, etc. are working for IPs along with governments to enhance all of these aspects and to ensure that these development programs duly reflect voices and aspirations of IPs.
Over last 20 years, IPs rights recognised through adoption of various international mechanisms such as UNDRIP 2007 followed by many other laws.
The panel invites papers relevant to the interface between forests and IPs worldwide through the ages in the context of geographical, political and environmental changes.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Wednesday 16 September, 2020, -Paper short abstract:
In the paper modest attempt has been made to bring out the different livelihood mechanism of the PVTGs on the one hand and the initiatives of the state on the other.
Paper long abstract:
India is considered as a hereditary home for innumerable number of tribal communities. They are living in the midst of poverty, homelessness, unemployment, malnutrition, low levels of literacy, backwardness, and lack of participation in governance, decision making process and administration. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are one among such communities of tribes. Post-independent nation state has initiated number of development programmes, livelihood initiatives and schemes as part of its affirmative action strategy and to benefit and upliftment them from the clutches of poverty, unemployment and backwardness of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Further, the state has initiated number of livelihood initiatives in order to address their livelihood strategies. In the paper modest attempt has been made to bring out the different livelihood mechanism of the PVTGs on the one hand and the initiatives of the state on the other by using an ethnographic appraisal among the Birhor tribe of Chhattisgarh, central Indian state of India.
Birhor tribe is traditionally considered as a wandering, simple, shy and god-fearing an little known forest dwelling tribal community. They live in bands. They are a semi-nomadic and hunter-gatherer group of people. Crafting ropes from siali bark, a raw material collected from the forest, is the lifeline of Birhors. Thus the livelihood of the Birhor mainly depends on the forest as well as the local market. They cannot live without forest and cannot manage without going to the market. The paper draws its inferences from the primary data gathered from the field among Birhor.
Paper short abstract:
Displacement due to development drew attention of social scientists all over the world. The paper examines the impact and outcomes of R&R policy, and also the relevance and role of applied anthropology in R&R of DPs, particulalry the indigenous communties in India in the context of globalisation.
Paper long abstract:
Fernandes and Paranjpye (1997) estimate that around 16-38 million people resettled as a result of large dams in India. Fernandes and Raj (1992) estimate that total moved in India because of dams and other infrastructure projects, mines and industries falls between 18.5 and 30 million. Estimates of those moved by dams alone exceed ten million. Studies reveal that only a fewer than 30% of those displaced due to development projects in the 1950s and 1960s resettled the situation for people displaced after 1970s is no different. About 25 million persons have been displaced since 1950s on account of developmental projects of which 40% are tribals. Less than 50% have been rehabilitated. The rest have been pauperised by the development process (Planning Commission and L.C. Jain 2000). However, after 1990s to present, these figures have been increased to a larger extent due to liberalised economic policies of state.
The R&R of displaced people have been remained as highly unsatisfactory in India. However, Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARRA), 2013 and interventions of a few social scientists, social workers and other applied / action anthropologists have created new hopes for better practices / implementation of R&R initiatives. The paper examines drawbacks, impact and outcomes of RFCTLARRA, 2013, dimensions of economics of R&R costs and impoverishment risks in involuntary R&R as proposed by Michael M. Cernea, and also the relevance and role of applied anthropology in R&R of DPs, particulalry indigenous communties in India in the context of globalisation.
Paper short abstract:
The tribal societies, any where in the world, which have been still in the hunting, gathering and slash-and-burn stages, have a much closer relationship with nature and its management.
Paper long abstract:
India is a home for about 360 indigenous communities, speaking more than 100 languages / dialects and occupies the second position in the world in terms of population, after that of the african continent. The economy of these traditional communities has been primarily fishing-hunting-foraging and shifting cultivation. More than 90% of them depend on forests and other natural resources for their livelihood, even today, except for a few who adopted to plains agricultural practices. The proposed paper is aimed to understand how the traditional communities have been adopted / evolved / developed various conservative mechanisms / principles, and practiced them in order to protect their natural environments and livelihoods in a sustainable manner in Andhra Pradesh, India through an anthropological perspective.
Paper short abstract:
The tribal societies in India are subjected to graded hierarchies with discrimination and extra economic force as modes of institutional operation for conducting economic transactions, accessing social resources and determining the developmental outcomes. Dr.BR.Ambedkar struggled to liberate tribes
Paper long abstract:
The tribal societies in India are socially regulated by institutions such as religion, caste, social discrimination and exclusion from human development. The Indian Social structure creates graded hierarchies of social groups with discrimination and extra economic force being the modes of institutional operation for conducting economic transactions, accessing social resources and determining the developmental outcomes. It is in this context that Dr. BR. Ambedkar, a member from a discriminated dalit community, endeavored by ensuring the human rights for tribal people through Constitutional democratic State socialism, equal rights, legal safeguards against violation of rights, strategies for fair share, participation and representation and remedies against structural Inequalities. He believed that a development strategy is effective only when tribal people are provided with greater access to ownership of means of production, education, skills and opportunities in the employment market, access to nutrition and health. Ambedkar`s approach to development is based on the need to have social transformation, economic progress, equity based fairness, freedom, participation, human security and sustainability. The constitutional safeguards in the social, economic and political spheres led to considerable empowerment. However the continued negligence and discrimination continues to deprive the tribal people from conserving, promoting and uplifting their culture, accessing resources and earning livelihoods. Under this context, the constitutional provisions of reservations, grants in aid, fifth& sixth schedule and separate ministry; and the subsequent sub plans needs an examination. Thus based on the above indicators this paper attempts at providing an alternative assessment of developmental experience of indigenous Indian Tribal people
Paper short abstract:
This paper aims to critically examine the impact of both colonial and post-colonial forest policies as well as the FRA 2006 and analyses - how far or what extend these policies and acts helped the tribal and pastoralists in India in rectifying/addressing historical injustices.
Paper long abstract:
The colonial and post-colonial forest policies have been severely impacted the free movement of tribals, pastoral nomads and other Forest Dependent Communities in their traditional habitats, especially in the context of the continuation of their cultures, management of livelihoods and protection of natural environments (NEs) in a sustainable manner.
As like elsewhere in the world, tribals and Pastoralists in India, with egalitarian ethos, enjoyed enormous freedom in protecting and using forests, and have been acting as custodians of NEs - habitats, resources, etc since centuries. Over a period of time, they have been pushed to margins and deprivation due to various reasons. They have been fighting for their rights over waters, forests and lands, through their protests and unrest since historic times. As a result, the appropriate governments have passed several regulations including the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006. FRA raised new hopes as they get titles (pattas) for their lands under cultivation through by claiming their rights over lands, grazing rights, NEs, etc. but in practice, the appropriate governments have failed in implementation of these in its letter and true spirit.
The aim of the paper is to examine the process of these policies in the journey of tribals from original inhabitants to the situation where / how their rights have been to pushed to mere privileges and concessions. The paper is an outcome of my field study conducted among the tribals - Gonds, Nayakpods, Kolams. and Lambadis in Kawals and the Raika nomadic pastoralists in India through anthropological perspectives.
Paper short abstract:
The proposed paper aimed to discuss various policies of state over forests and lands and analyses how the state policies affecting the tribals in India in general and also suggests alternative / positive policy measures for the well being of them in particular.
Paper long abstract:
India is a rich country in terms of natural resources and has anout 8.6 % (104 millions) of tribal population to the total population of the country, who have been living in the forest and hilly areas over generations, where enormous minerals and other natural resources existed. In order to boost economic growth and development, appropriate governments have been enacting and amending several policies related to forests and lands from time to time.
In order to utilise the minerals and other natural resources, states have been allowing private agencies to intervene in the forest and hilly areas which is creating multiple challenges for the indigenous communities especially concerning to their natural habitats, livelihoods and survival. This paper analyses how the state policies affecting to tribals in India in general and also suggests alternative / positive policy measures to safeguard the natural environments and livelihood concerns of indigenous people within their socio-cultural and economic perspectives.
Paper short abstract:
The Kuruma community having indigenous knowledge of shepherding, blanket weaving and narrating Oggu Kathalu (traditional stories).
Paper long abstract:
Kuruma community is a pastoral nomad community in India whose traditional caste occupation is sheep rearing and blanket weaving with sheep wool. Shepherd communities in India hails from different tribal communities and castes. For example, Gaddi tribe from Himachal Pradesh, Bharwad from Gujarat, Kuruba from Karnataka, Kurumbar from Tamil Nadu etc., are shepherd communities in India. Kuruma is a shepherd community in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. They have their own indigenous knowledge in sheep rearing, blanket weaving and telling Oggu (traditional) stories. Kuruma community livelihood depends on forest and natural resources as they are rearing sheep. Sheep rearing activity is semi-nomadic in nature. This paper describes the indigenous knowledge of shepherding, blanket weaving with sheep wool and Oggu Kathalu (traditional stories) ethnographically.
Paper short abstract:
The paper aims to discuss how various development projects like toursim and mining, and encroachments and interferences of non-tribals into habitats of Chenchus causing threats to thier culture, sustainable livilyhoods and natural environments, and struggles for survival for the past two decades.
Paper long abstract:
The Chenchus are indigenous people and inhabitants of Nallamala forests located in Eastern Ghats of South India. Nallamala forests surrounded by high mountains and deep valleys, and is a home to the Chenchus - a Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) / Particulalry Volunrable Tibal Group (PVTG), and thier habitat spreded in districts of Mahaboobnagar and Nalogonda in Telangana Sate, and districts of Prakasam, Guntur, Kurnool and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh State. It is belived that the Chencus belong to a Dravidian family with the physical features of medium stature, dark skin, curly hair, flat nose, etc. They speak Telugu with their own typical accent. The Chenchu's economy is charectorised by the primitive means of production. Traditionally they practice sifting cultivation, collect minior forest produces, and depend on hunting and gathering for their living.
They maiinly subsist on thier day-to-day needs, and never think of future, They have thier own animistic beliefs and other magico-religious practices, and also worship the Shiva - the Hindu deity. Usually they prefer to lead a life in isolation and aloofness, and do not prefer to interact with the outside world.
Howevr, encroahments and frequent interferences of non-tribals into habitats of the Chenchus in the name of 'development' causing destruction to their mere survival as an individual, community and society in the nature. Tourism and mining projects are also causing major threats to livilyhoods. Present paper is an attempt to discuss the Chenchu's struggle for their survival for the past two decades in the Nallamala forests. .