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.
Visit us @ www.aidindia.org.uk   www.aidindia.net  www.aidjharkhand.org

This project is supported by European Union and Alternative For India Development, UK (Aid UK)

  Issue No. 3

3.

Arki is a remote block of Jharkhand state. It has very dense forest. It is located in Khunti sub-division of Ranchi District in India ( http://jharkhand.nic.in/about/districts.htm ).
Munda tribe is in majority in this region. Forest plays a vital role in shaping their culture, economic and religions life. The region is rich in flora and fauna. Sal is the main type of forest found here along with wide varieties of medicinal palnts. Non-timber forest produce (NTFP) like laquer (locally called lac), Ber (plum), Mahua (flower and seed), Kendu leaf, tamarind chiraunji are few of the widely available produce of this region.
Tribal community in general and those of Khunti region in particular, regulate their own politico-socio-legal affairs on the basis of principles, procedures, practices and traditions. Munda tribe chooses their leader (Munda chief) based on consensus or selection by the people of village. Traditional practices of Munda in Khuntkatti region are different from those of the non-tribal. A gram sabha is continuing since ages. It is an entity at village. It has its acceptance throughout the Munda society. Above it is a group of villages or hamlets, which are called parganas or parha. The tribal communities manage their affairs since ages.

A case was filed to withhold panchayat election in self-governed area of the state where tribals manage their own affairs traditionally. The High Court rejected the appeal. It gave its verdict that if Manki, Munda, Pahan, Manjhi and others are granted gram sabha rights under the Panchayati Raj act then they would be more capable to run the institution and that would, in no way, interfere with their traditional self-governance.
In most of the villages the community have still not realised the implications of the panchayat election. They are not reacting fiercely to it. They are more enthusiastic because of the event itself that they would be experiencing after a long time.
The tribal are not realising the fact the state wants to abandon the traditional governance systems. It is felt that once the government is successful in holding election, the self-governed tribal pockets would be under their own agents' network in the village level that will work as a part of the same corrupt government machinery, which they will call the democratically elected Gram Panchayats.