Democracy in India has won a minor battle, as popular aspirations have been met by the creation of the three new states -
Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand.
All three states are blessed with natural wealth in abundance. The struggle for
statehood was waged for the rights over water,
forests and land, around which their life revolves. But statehood means only half the battle won, as the unholy nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and logging / mining interests is still to be dealt with.
Their residents eagerly debate the future of these resource-rich states, and the opportunities they bring. The previous government only regarded the forests as a source of revenue. Will the people''s rights be restored? Will the people get a chance to participate in their own development? Or, will the natural resources continue to be plundered and will the state bureaucracy continue to work as usual?
These states also have the right topography for watershed activities and water harvesting. But hardly any initiative is being taken in this direction, to help people fight the problem of water scarcity. How can people sitting in Delhi decide what is to be done with the waters of the Bhagirathi?
Traditionally, the tribal people depend on the forests. The Forest Conservation Act (which curtails people''s access to the forests) needs to be amended. The term forest must include the people living there. Most of the fertile land is owned by non-tribal people. All these issues are all interrelated - they cannot be solved in isolation.
Mining has not done much for the local people. In Jharkhand, mines employ only five per cent of the local population, while displacing 30 per cent of them. Besides, they consume their forests. The end result has always been the marginalisation of the local people.
Transparency, sustainable resource management and people''s participation are necessary, if the tribal people are to progress beyond mere subsistence living. And power has to be devolved to the people. In sum, statehood is the beginning of the struggle and not its culmination.
A new development strategy is needed, one that is not dependent on mining. There is no justification for creating a new state, if the government’s agenda continues to be driven by contractors.