AID was founded in 1982. The aim of AID is to fight poverty and give strength to people to participate in grassroots democracy in India. It provides support and technical assistance to community working for total transformation.
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 July 06

Issue No. 4  

Grass Root Action   :  Awakening For The Rights

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Implications for Policy Advocacy

State policies have eroded tribal control over the forest. Alienation from land and their loss of command over forests is a major problem for tribals even after independence. The trend had started with the British control over forests. Successive forest policies systematically undermined and eroded the access and control, thus continuing the trend in the post colonial era as well. This has resulted in growing dependence of tribal on the welfare bureaucracy. The latter can also be termed as the welfare middlemen. The poor tribals have not been enabled to avail institutional loans. This throws them in the control of money lenders leading to bonded labour.
The forest constitutes the most dominant aspect of the tribal economy. Not only was the tribals economy sound, but the eco system was better as long as the community commanded and managed forests. However the downhill journey began, when successive legislations started wresting control of the forest from the community.
Lack of transparency, trust and accountability, relatively rare presence in rural areas except for collecting fines and bribes and ruthless power to withdraw livelihood resources are the common perceptions about the forest department among the poorest groups. There is considerable level of harassment for relatively small legal infringements.
 

How Jeranga became a vested village

Jeranga Mouza (revenue village) originally comprised of 6 villages – Jeranga, Sonpur, Godahappa, Mosunga, Piskatoli and Doriya. Prior to 1887, the Mundas paid their Malguzari either to the village Manki or directly to the Raja of Tamar. In 1887 the annual rent for Jeranga Mouza was Rs225/-. This had accumulated to Rs.2125 over the years. A complaint was therefore filed to the DC who issued a notice of recovery. As there was no action taken, the right to collect the rent of 1513 acres of land (of Khewat No 4 –land belonging to the Manki) of Jeranga Mouza was auctioned to one Kanilal Sahu. These rights were later sold to Kanchi’s Jadunandan Sahu. This is recorded in the Survey Settlement as Landlord where the land is no more considered to be Khuntkatti land. The rightholders also had rights to settle raiyats on this land who paid Malgujari to Jadunandan and his descendents. The raiyats could also sell the land if they wished.
After the Birsa revolt that protested against the free selling of land to outsiders, the CNT Act was put in place by which no sale or auction of Khutkatti land could take place. Khutkatti land could be given on lease, but if the lease holder no longer required the land and left the place, the right over the land would go back to the original Khukattidar.
In Jeranga, as of now, the right to collect the Malguzari is vested with the CO (circle officer of the block) instead of the Manki as recorded in Khewat No.3. All the Mundas of the area give the Malguzari to the CO through the village karamchari (called village level worker). This implies that the Khutkatti rights of the Manki have been taken away. This also means that the common forest land is under the control of the forest department. The rights of the remaining Mundas with respect to common land are not clear.