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STORIES OF PEACEMAKING
India

 

#1. Justice, Peace and Harmony

 

#1. Justice, Peace and Harmony

I am not going to separate each of the concepts like peace, justice, conflict, community, human relationship, etc into watertight compartments. I feel that all these aspects are so closely linked with the communities with whom I work, particularly with their socio-cultural life style. Hence I would like to look at these questions from that perspective of the extent to which concepts like peace, justice, conflict, community, human relationship exist in the life-style and culture of these communities.

In many regions of India the cultural identity of that region is the cultural heritage of the indigenous people. For example Jharkhand, the adjoining state of Chhattisgarh, has a similar heritage of tribal culture. In all the cases we would find that the most important aspect is that they have some basic values that sustain the mutuality of the community. That is the most important aspect of life. Sustainability of any community depends upon the strength of mutuality.

Some of the basic aspects that I would like to mention here from my experience and understanding are noted below in brief.

1. The balance between nature and culture:

The life of a community is sustained through nature and cultural modifications, which are done by human beings on the basis of mutual dependency. Nature sustains human beings and human beings sustain nature. The mutuality is so intense that it is impossible for one to live/exist without the other. The balance based on the mutuality between nature and culture has been continuing since pre-historic period, particularly among the tribals in the region.

2. Accommodative History:

Historically speaking the people of this region had an accommodative history where they allowed various cultures in this region to thrive. Population of many ethnic groups have entered here from different directions within the country, during the last 2000 years, having brought with them their own religions and faiths.

3. Community based economic system:

Till recent times the economic system among the people was more a community-based one, rather than private property, according to which land forest and water are community resources and every member in the community has a right to use it based on this need. Hence a need-based assessment of utilisation existed rather than a greed-based assimilative economy. Briefly speaking the whole community is based on a sharing, caring and co-operation instead of competition, consumption and market.

4. Democratic policy based on consensus:

This has been one of the oldest regions in the country where a federal system of administration has been in existence for long. Every village had its own village mukhiyas (leaders) and most of the tribal villages were independent republics. Hence a federal system of governance existed in this region of the country until the arrival of the British. In some parts it started changing with the interaction with the Marathas.

However this spirit has not completely died among these communities. We can observe it more clearly if we closely analyse the action and lifestyle of these people more closely. The following interview with a tribal activist will make it more lucid.

"We, the tribals alone can save the life of forests"
Question What are the major problems due to the creation of sanctuaries?
Answer This basically disrupts our life style, our co-existence with forest. Community life will wither away and the land of our ancestors will become alien to us.
Question What will happen if you are displaced?
Answer It is something like asking the fish to come out of water and live on a sandy beach. This is not possible. We are not going to move out at any cost even at the expense of our lives.
Question The Forest Department says that you are destroying the forests. Is it true?
Answer No, after the interference of the Forest Department only, there has been huge destruction of forest and wildlife. I can cite some of the incidents that happened in the past with the close nexus and connivance of the government. All the time they remained silent. But when the adivasi cuts a bamboo to build his house, he is charge as a forest thief. Now you find the truth.
Question Don't you think that Wildlife is affected by the population?
Answer We have been living here since ages; perhaps, before the inception of the Forest Department. If I am not mistaken, the rights over forests were provided by the raja of Khariar. Since then we have been living with wildlife and forest. We know the character of animals, their hideouts, caves, and the time when they come out of the forests. Even before the declaration of Sanctuary, we lived in and as part of the forests. On what basis do they say our presence affects wildlife is a major puzzle to all of us. We are unable to understand the logic.
Question Who can protect forest and wildlife?
Answer Only we the tribals can protect the forests. Our ethos speaks of it; our tradition and religion demonstrates this fact. It is morbid to think of separating the wildlife from us. What is the character of Forest Department? They work hand in glove with the contractors, and anti-life elements, and now they are pretending to be the Messiah of the forests - the real custodians are kicked out. This is the biggest irony.
Question What do you think about the Forest Department's plan of wildlife conservation?
Answer It is absolutely absurd. Under this pretext only they can oust us; they cannot protect wildlife without taking us into confidence and planning from our viewpoint. They want to use it for commercial exploitation. If the government is highly concerned about wildlife, then why are they so unconcerned and lethargic about the ten thousand people residing in the forests - who have been protecting it for generations? Do they think we people are of lesser importance and lower than animals? It is only to hurt us.
Question And you people are ready to accept it?
Answer Not at all. We are fighting against it in all possible ways. I had even sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India.
Question How did the PM respond?
Answer From the PM Office an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) referred the case to the Government of Orissa for investigation. Then after that the state government did not send me any intimation.
Question If you are evicted, will you accept the compensation package?
Answer We are not going to move out, hence there is no question of thinking of a compensation package. And nobody can compensate us for the loss that we have to suffer - our land, forests, people and socio-cultural life will disappear soon. We don't believe in such a government or state.
Question You don't trust in the state?
Answer How do we trust or rely on a state that has turned out to be a bunch of traitors. I feel that the British government was much better than the rulers in the post-independence era. Britishers at least gave us the land entitlement rights and control over the nearby forests. The national ruling elite have been constantly trying to take away all our rights and concessions. It has become more crude, outrageous and odious than in the colonial time.
Question What is your future planning?
Answer To intensify the struggle through Sunabeda Sangarsh Bahini. There is no other option left to us than to revolt.
(Excerpts from an interview with Agram Singh Majhi, a tribal activist of Sunabeda Sangarsh Bahini who is about 75 years. This sanctuary situated on the border of Orissa & Chhattisgarh will affect 66 villages)

I feel that an outline of how the grassroots people feel about concepts like justice, peace conflict, community and human relationship is mentioned above. Any effort to disrupt justice and peace by creating conflict has been strongly resisted by them. However they are not that aware of the co-relation of the forces of globalisation and fascism in rupturing the justice and peace of their lives. But they are well aware of the caste politics headed by the chauvinist Hindus. They are aware of the exploitative led by the rich landlords. Often they are aware of the anti-people policies of the government.

As far peace is concerned to them it means to live in harmony with the community and nature. Similarly justice to them is something that sustains the harmony and mutuality of life and their existence. Conflict is something that interrupts the harmony of their community and mutuality.

However these people are growing against the dominant culture and ideology. Perhaps this is a process of developing a counter culture. Developing a counter-culture, as alternative to the present one that could combat the growing trends of globalisation is what is more essential today. Unless we consciously raise a sense of counter culture time and again, all these efforts will be futile and in vain. Hence a sense of alternative culture also needs to be understood in this process.

It is the process of developing human-centric attitude and tendency towards life-sustaining culture. It needs a lot of effort and is the culmination of the essence of human values.

This is mostly observed in the dalit and tribal art forms. Since these art forms have all the principal elements of sustaining life, it is the best art form for any attempt to develop a counter culture. The edifice of counter culture is based on the culture and art forms of those who had suffered a lot. It is the search for fullness of life and quest for justice in the dark world.

Tribals are normally a docile society with a sense of community feeling and oneness. Today their oneness is being disturbed in various ways with the incursion of the state by usurping their land forest and resources from them. With this, these people with a community sense are transformed into an exploited class. This very development is focussed in their culture and art forms. Their consciousness of prosperity is of higher degree and greater value. It is linked with the prosperity of all in common. For instance this chorus from a Malayalam dalit song reveals it apparently. It goes like this.

Naadu Poliyuga Nagaram Poliyuga
Ooru Poliyuga Ulagam Poliyuga.

Let my country be prosperous, let my city be prosperous, let my village be prosperous and thereby let the universe be prosperous.