Second Stop: Jharkand

HI ALL. Today, we move on to another part of India, Jharkhand, meaning land of forests. AHA! You can guess what this is about! (Don’t worry, I’ll keep it interesting) Jharkhand is a state that gained autonomy in 2000, after a long struggle for independence from the northern state of Bihar. It was a movement born in the tribal communities for a separate land for the home of adivasis. Feeling neglected socially and politically in the larger area of Bihar, the area that was carved out was considered relatively “backward”. However, it is home to massive sources of minerals: coal, uranium, bauxite, iron ore etc. In fact, Jharkhand is the leading producer of mineral wealth in the nation! Of course, it is also plagued by the resource curse, meaning that paradoxically, this wealth has not reached the tribals whom the new nation was meant to empower, but has instead hurt their livelihoods and socioeconomic standing even more.

A map of Jharkand specifically outlining mining geography posted on a wall in the BIRSA office.

 

So we are at the headquarters of BIRSA, an organization based in Jharkand that focuses on several issues. Its website describes the founding and purpose succinctly:

“In 1989, Bindrai Institute for Research Study & Action - B.I.R.S.A. was planned as a Research, Training & Documentation Centre by a group of Intellectuals and Activists connected with the various People’s movements of Jharkhand, including the Fifty Five year old Jharkhand Movement for a Separate State. These various struggles, which included Human Rights, Labour Rights, Land Rights, Cultural Identity, against colonial interests required the maintenance of an independent knowledge base. While the history of Jharkhand has been an active and militant one, it lacked the resources for a reflective and analytical process to understand its history and the dynamics of the penetration of capital in a subsistence base economy. Realising the need of modern tools of research and analysis and its own informed leadership, the Centre was established.”

There are four main branches of the organization:

1. Human Rights, Resource & Training Centre


2. Mines Monitoring Centre
 (JMMACC, see next post)

3. Campaign for Forest People’s Rights


4. OMON Women’s Organisation


We focused on 2, though chatted with those who organized 3. We saw some films by 1 and stayed with the leader of 4.

A wing of their organization produced films on mining, corporate, Maoist atrocities etc.

BIRSA is an acronym chosen on purpose. Birsa Munda was one of the first martyrs of the Indian fight against British colonialism, and a beacon of pride for adivasis. He was an early freedom fighter who died before he was 25.

BIRSA’s leaders, though most are only in their thirties, are looking to foster strong leadership among local youths and then give them more responsibilities, autonomy, etc. to begin the transfer of power to the next generation. Quite progressive and humble.

A major issue the rural youth face is the basic question of how to find and hold on to a livelihood to determine their future. Their ancestors possessed more adequate amounts of land, because land has now transitioned from being plentiful and cheap to scarce and expensive in a booming market economy. Land is also divided through generations due to an exponentially growing number of families. I have let’s say, 12 viga of land. If I have four boys, they each get 3. If each of them has three boys, then all my grandchildren will possess one viga, when I owned all 12 by myself. What can one of the young men do with one viga? Can they support themselves and their five children? In addition, land has become like oil in a nation where private enterprise is becoming the designated engine of growth and expansion. With construction, resource, factory, airport, etc. frenzies, young rural individuals are facing land questions like never before.

Before, the variety and amount of goods these rural people had to buy from the market was less – they were more or less self-sufficient. Now, they must purchase medicine, clothing, school tuitions, cooking oil etc. Their access to forest produces that they previously relied on diminishes as forests are cut down or sanctioned off in animal reserves. Herbal plants, nuts rich in protein, medicinal berries are no longer plentiful. Many are “discovered” by enterprising capitalists and find their way into international markets. Heard of the latest crazes whose prices are skyrocketing for consumers as well as for locals? Goji berry? Acai? Not only do many of the youth want to hold on to what they have in the face of such usurpations, but they also want to learn how to preserve and develop these resources in a way that they are not silenced from directing. These struggles are not against development but actually desire to nurture self-fulfilling economic activity and advancement: the basics of how can water most efficiently be harvested to feed crops, solar panels for local energy, getting permanent electricity, sanitized toilets, etc. LET”S FOCUS ON THIS ANGLE OF “DEVELOPMENT.”