People's Democracy

THE bourgeoisie media is going overboard, calling the so-called "settlement" arrived between the chief minister Antony and Adivasi leader

C K Janu as "historic", "trend-setting" and a sure path for upliftment of the tribals. After leading nearly a month long agitation, C K Janu, who audaciously claims herself to be the sole representative of the Adivasis in the state, reached an agreement with the chief minister and withdrew from the hutments put up in front of the chief minister's residence. This settlement is being trumpeted as an achievement of the pro-Adivasi chief minister Antony.

However in reality this "settlement" signifies nothing but conclusion of a well orchestrated political drama, designed to arrest the fast depleting support for UDF among the Adivasis.

Let us examine the background in which this "struggle" arose with much fanfare. For the first time ever the Adivasi's in Kerala were facing starvation deaths in Wynad region as a result of various policies of the new Antony government. The non renewal of the Ordinance issued by the previous LDF government led to the usurping of large tracts of tribal land by the forest mafia. Coupled with this, the tribals were left with no support price for their agricultural produce throwing many families into utter poverty and disease.

The ruling UDF's response to this deepening crisis was most insensitive. The ministers bluntly denied these were starvation deaths and claimed they were a result of certain habits of Adivasis .

The CPI(M) and the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union and the Adivasi Welfare Society launched a joint agitation demanding the government to come to the aid of Adivasis. At the same time they tried to provide food and medicine to the affected Adivasi settlements on their own.

The UDF realized that they would have to face the wrath of the Adivasis.

It was at this juncture that it conspired with its creation, C K Janu to launch her own agitation. C K Janu has been the creation of the bourgeois politics with the cunning assistance from the naxalite groups of the state in order to tamper with the long enduring solutions to the Adivasi questions introduced by the last LDF regime. She was given all encouragement to torpedo the proposed Bill introduced by the LDF government to solve the Adivasi question and to provide the Adivasis with sufficient land and other facilities for getting employment.

The traditional anti-Marxist media lent their full support to this agitation, in the process trying to project C K Janu as the real saviour of the tribals. However it was an attempt to thwart the real Adivasi agitation and their demands.

Janu’s demand for distribution of 2.5 lakh acres of land for Adivasis came down heavily and finally when the settlement was reached, the land area demanded by Janu was reduced to mere 42,000 acres. Even this is doubtful because this government cannot find these lands remaining in the forests as forestlands.

All lands confiscated by the power of ordinance by the LDF government were regained by the forest mafia with the blessings of the new ministry under the UDF and they have already cleared them to waste and by planting a few banana plants and other short term plants, they have turned these forestlands into " plantations", which by law, cannot be taken as excess land or Adivasi land.

After utilising her for their own purposes, the UDF betrayed and cheated Janu. Ultimately when the settlement was reached she could not achieve anything more than what the LDF had already provided. In fact she has reduced the benefits of the Adivasi’s by agreeing to the UDF decision of establishing Development Authorities in the tribal belts.

An Adivasi convention held on October 17, 2001 at Kozhikode declared that the Adivasis would capture their lands and build their own hutments if the government does not distribute the lands captured by the forest mafia. The action of capturing their legitimate settlements would commence from January 15, 2002 if the governmental promise is not implemented.

The Adivasis would strike in all districts simultaneously by capturing their original land and the land due to them through different governmental projects.

The convention was held under the auspices of the Adivasi Welfare Council at Tagore Centenary Hall, Kozhikode. The participation of the Adivasis in the convention proved that the paper organisations sponsored by the vested interests do not actually represent the genuine Adivasis.

As part of the preparations for this agitation, district level conventions will be held from November 15 - 22 , 2001. All collectorate offices in the state would be picketed by the Adivasis and other volunteers on November 26th. In the month of December 2001, padayatras would be undertaken in all Adivasi colonies of the state. Forms of agitations would be chalked out according to the distinct problems and requirements of each Adivasi settlement.

CPI(M) Politburo Member and state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, while inaugurating the convention made a scathing attack on the drama held in the name of Adivasis in which C K Janu and the chief minister played their sinister roles as the saviors of the Adivasis. "The Adivasis have earned nothing from the agitation of Janu. It was Janu who has earned a good coverage" said Pinayari Vijayan. The UDF attempt to focus Janu as the real leader of the Adivasis will fizzle out when the Adivasis realise that the so-called settlement reached was fake, he said.

He felt that this settlement would rob the Adivasis off their benefits due to them from different schemes and projects of the LDF government. The drama of struggle was an attempt by Antony to show that he solved the Adivasi problem. However people in general and Adivasis in particular would see through this game , Pinayari Vijayan.

The Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union general secretary A.Kanaran presented a charter of demands in the convention. The document states in the beginning that Adivasis are losing faith in the system of democracy. They feel that they are deprived of even the rights they had enjoyed during the days of the monarchies. This anxiety and disappointment is driving them towards extremism and communalism and the only way to bring them into the mainstream of life is to grant them their due rights, stated the document. It demanded that Adivasis should be issued legal documents as and when land is allotted to them. All homeless Adivasis should be provided with houses. They should be allowed to use the forest resources to make their livelihood. But however, trees should be protected and the forests should be retained. The Adivasis should be given due reservation in the field of employment and their share should be protected.

The convention expressed the confidence that days are not far away when the aboriginal people of the forests of Kerala will wake from their slumber and become part of the mainstream of life.