Beyond Maoism: The Battle for Adivasi Trust

Context

India has declared that it is Maoist-free and must now focus on state-building instead of military successes in areas such as Bastar in Chhattisgarh. The next big challenge is to build trust among the Adivasis with participatory governance, structural justice and protection of the constitutional guarantees.

The Milestone: End of the Maoist Era

• India has managed to achieve its goal of a Maoist-free India after years of striving under the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). 
• During the press meet at Jagdalpur, Bastar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah pointed out that while the armed insurgency was eliminated, true peace can be achieved by bringing Adivasis into the democratic mainstream. 
• With this achievement, the government has fixed 2031 as a long term goal for the overall development, economic empowerment and welfare of the Adivasis of Bastar. 

The Core Challenges in Bastar

Maintaining this win depends on overcoming institutional weaknesses that have long marginalized indigenous peoples.

• Structural Issues: The main concerns of Adivasis are with respect to traditional rights over jal, jungle and aur zameen (water, forest and land). It is pivotal to establish trust by addressing these. 
• Historical Isolation: Maoism flourished in places of weak infrastructure where the initial opposition to state sponsored development was in the form of armed Naxal activities. 

Government Strategy: Development and Outreach

The state has released a multi-pronged plan to take the peace dividend down to the grassroot level. 

• Infrastructure Push: The central government has built more than 1221 km of roads, set up thousands of mobile towers and opened 269 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in the former LWE affected areas. 
• Government at the Doorstep: To give the government greater reach, they were bringing welfare schemes to local doorsteps via a network of designated centres set up by security forces. 
• Shaheed Veer Gunda Dhur Seva Dera: The Ministry of Cooperation, in collaboration with the National Institute of Design (NID), is outlining a comprehensive development project named after the legendary tribal leader Shaheed Veer Gunda Dhur. 
• Economic Targets: The administration is seriously working on economic upliftment and has ambitious targets to make Bastar as an average income rich division and making it as one of the developed tribal divisions in India.

Strengthening Constitutional Guarantees

Restoring trust must be accompanied by adherence to constitutional protections for tribal autonomy and cultural identity.

• Fifth and Sixth Schedules: These are critical for lands of the tribes and autonomy in administration of local affairs. Their essence has to be manifested in decentralization.
• Gram Sabha is the foundation of local autonomy and is granted powers by PESA Act (1996). Yet state governments try to water it down, usually concerning the power to “consent” rather than “consult,” on land acquisition. Trust can never be established unless the veto of Gram Sabhas is given due consideration, legally and morally.
• Individual and Community Forest Rights: Expediting the recognition under the Forest Rights Act 2006 is essential to the livelihoods of the Adivasis.

Conclusion

The ultimate test of governance in the post-Maoist era is delivering justice. Adivasis are becoming more cognizant of their constitutional rights and will not keep their expectations of structural dignity down. Positive peace – that is, true peace – is achieved only when the state moves beyond the role of suppressing violence to one that empowers its indigenous peoples. 

Source: The Hindu

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