Survey Report

Tipaimukh, January - February, 2009:
Mr. Immanuel Zarzosang Varte, Director, CICDS and Mr. Lienthanglur Khawzawl, Executive Secretary, CICDS went to the hills of Manipur and Mizoram to conduct an in-situ survey/study on Impact of development on the environment, culture and other aspect there.

SURVEY FINDINGS:

During the study, CICDS found that inspite of the various approaches and
efforts towards tribal development the Hmars in this area are in fact
a poorer and discounted lot ever than before. This condition is
surprising as the most logical and appropriate thing to be seen should
have been a better, happier, richer and enjoyed a more independent
livelihood after so much efforts.

So, CICDS cannot help ask the question- “Is something wrong and if yes,
when, where and why does something that have been apparently
well-planned and implemented coupled with enough funds and manpower
possibly go wrong; and what exactly is the level of dependency and
impoverisation?” If tribal development programmes do not benefit and
develop the Indian tribals anymore or if being the largest democracy
in the world cannot teach us the way for a truly democratic tribal
development, there is no validity in being a democratic state.

CICDS further observed that the disintegration of tribal system of
democracy and administration for the sake of ‘better governance’ in
the line of ‘advanced’ democratic nation-state government led to the
gradual marginalization and in the process, the destruction of other
socio-cultural aspects of tribal communities like the Hmars in India.
Therefore, we cannot help but question the validity of democracy and
development as the poor and the marginalized or, what the constitution
of India call ‘weaker sections’, do not seem to be beneficiaries of
development and democracy.

Cultural loss as a result of a sudden cultural evolution due to
culture-contact leads to a culture-shock with an often devastating
effects. This is exactly what happens with the Hmars. If this is
development, what do the Hmars gain in terms of life, and culture,
even going along with a rootless economy of the dispossessed
marginalized poor?

Self-reliance, the key word for modernity and development is lost
among the Hmars and many others as a result of development and the
careless pumping of development funds alongwith the spoon-feeding
trend adopted by many as the only way to care for the ‘hapless’ thus
leading to the increase in the dependency syndrome which has become
common the Hmars and in many tribal societies, if not all. This is a
direct result of the disintegration and elimination of the close
relationship of the tribals with their environment and tradition by
shallow and short-sighted development programmes that are devoid of
any cultural consideration. The article of self-reliance and
confidence of the indigenous abilities got subsequently weakened
resulting in the appearance of an incarcerated economy. The
self-reliance of the Hmars in Tipaimukh has never been as low as it is
now. Like all other societies, they had their own technology,
versatility and creativity that spring from their own vast source of
indigenous knowledge system that enables them to create, produce and
innovate. Their oneness with nature has been gradually destroyed by
the invasion of many external elements. For instance, they were told
that Jhuming have a negative impact on their environment and they
should seek alternative means for their livelihood but without being
provided or educated on how these alternatives are to be obtained;
they were told that they should go for modern accessories and modern
education if they are to catch up with the rest of the outside world
without however teaching the people on the pros and cons of these
so-called transition from the ‘primitive’ to the ‘modern’. One very
ironic and somewhat hilarious example of improper and blind
development initiative is the pumping in of funds for setting up of a
fishery in Parbung village where getting water for just cooking and
washing is a nightmare for many. There is no water supply system and
the only water source is a small mountain spring where, in winter
time, people need to get up at around 2:00 or 3:00 AM and await their
turns for hours to fill their pots and sometimes need to come back
empty-handed as the water in the spring has dried up. A fishery in
such a place is therefore simply unbelievable. Surely, there will
definitely be other things the people need more than fisheries while
they themselves have barely enough to drink, wash and cook! Hence, in
actuality, the Hmars were, in a sense, much better off in life and
economy before they became corrupted and invaded with new ideas and
technology such as the above and that too sans the proper knowledge,
preparation and infrastructural facilities needed to attain them. They
are now in a dilemma- not sure which way to go and are therefore the
general public, excluding the few who feed on the ignorance of others,
generally distrustful of new ideas. Consequently, instead of
progressing and catching up with the mainstream, they are filled with
dread and lack of confidence amounting to hyper inferiority complex
coupled with a general feeling of incapability when it comes to facing
things outside their villages or areas. In short, their fear of the
unknown has been magnified due to lack of confidence nurtured by the
gradual disintegration of their socio-cultural life by so-called
‘modern’ ways of living. All these hay-wired results of so-called
modernity and development are due to shortsighted and wanton disregard
for the Hmars’ distinct socio-cultural, economico-politico and
geo-physical setup and the sudden invasive ideas that pay or accord
little value to traditional and cultural values- elements that forms
the basis of world societies. If this trend continues, the tribals
will someday come out in the street openly and demand a separate
administration altogether.

Thus, inter alia, the key to a better life for the Hmars in particular
and other indigenous peoples in general is nothing but recognition of
their cultural and traditional values and their diverse applicability
to contemporary systems, grass-root mobilization and involvement. In
order to foster a meaningful and sustainable pattern of rural
development among the Hmars and other tribals, certain existential
realities are to be noted in its historical context. Without
understanding the ethos of community practices and traditional skill
and patterns of livelihood and occupation and other indigenous-based
knowledge systems; continuation of the underestimation of the time and
effort their tradition requires for proper evolution, any efforts in
modernization- be it infrastructures like educational institutions,
health centers, roads and communication, dams or any development
initiatives imposed upon the Hmars or other tribal societies are bound
to have half-hearted if not badly distorted results in the form of
further marginalization and impoverisation.

Due to the introduction of development schemes like dams, mines,
industries, etc, on tribal inhabited areas, vast segment of India’s
tribal population have been displaced from their natural habitats
apart from being subjected to numerous forms of exploitation and
deprivations. More are likely to be displaced in the near future. Take
for instance, the recently started Tipaimukh Dam project on the
confluence of the Barak and the Tuivai River in Tipaimukh sub-division
of Manipur. The catchment’s area and the submerged area will touch a
vast hill area of three states viz., Manipur, Mizoram and Assam which
is the native home of three major tribes- the Zeliangrong Nagas,
Hmars, Kukis and Paites of which the Hmars will be the most affected.
Several villages in Tipaimukh area will either be completely submerged
or directly affected alongwith hundreds of hectares of Jhum lands, not
mentioning the non- Jhum forest areas. The impact on the environment
needs not be mentioned as it is obvious enough with a little
imagination. It will suffice to say that the area is home to many
exotic plants, herbs and endangered wildlife. Needless to say, all in
the name of development, this dam will result in large scale
displacement and eventual alienation of thousands of tribals already
in danger of losing their very identity. While land alienation and
displacement have been an integral part of tribal history,
rehabilitating them does not seem to be a part of the agenda. This is
the same bleak scenario that the tribes of Manipur, especially those
in Tipaimukh face in the near future. Even without the added problem
of being likely to be displaced from their ancestral home, the tribes
in Tipaimukh and other hill areas already face serious problems in
matters of land alienation and decreasing forest, Jhum and village
areas, deteriorating socio-cultural life, backsliding and stagnant
economy, etc due to the inroad of development and other outside
elements that invariably follows in its wake.

The continuing process of land alienation, eviction, marginalization
and exploitation of the indigenous people is the so-called
‘development’. Furthermore, as direct or indirect results of these
development initiatives, for the last five to six decades, there has
been a stream of tribal uprisings and movements highlighting the
demand of tribal self-rule with different dimensions and magnitude. On
one extreme, there is the articulation of the demand for sovereign
state and, on the other, for greater power to tribes over their lands,
forest and other resources at the level of village or locality. In
between, there has been a demand for greater powers in the form of
separate state or autonomous regional/ district council within the
existing sovereign state or. They all stem from the idea of self-rule,
the genesis of which invariably lay in the structure of relationship
of domination-subjugation. This has been so as many tribes have the
feeling that they are situated in a state of domination either by
non-tribal domination or by a state considered as alien and an
intruder. The domination according to them has been economic,
political, social and cultural. Accordingly, these people feel that
development is nothing but a development of control and not of
progress. Hence the idea of self-rule in the form of demand for
autonomy is very strong among them. Many tribal termed this domination
as nothing but a covert form of Internal Colonialization which is no
different from the much hated Colonialization of India by the British
thus resulting in all-out mobilization movement and even armed
conflicts just as the Indians did against the British before
independence. The MNF, Bru and Hmar movements in Mizoram, Naga
movement, Kuki movement, the Bodo movement in Assam, the Khasi and
Garo movements in Meghalaya, etc are all standing examples to this
end. Thus the question- “has development actually brought development
to those in need of development?” invariably comes to mind. Moreover,
one cannot help but ask the questions: What is development?
Development for whom, by whom and at what price? The irony lies in the
fact that development is commonly presented as the panacea for all the
ills of the people but the last four to five decades of development
era and the last one decade of privatization, liberalization and
globalization have further put emphasis on the fact that development
serves the needs of only those who are already developed at the
expense of the undeveloped; at the expense of those people for whom
development programmes were initiated in the first place.

Summarization:

Serious case of rapid environmental degradation and rapid depletion of
resources due to unscrupulous and lackadaisical exploitation arising
from loss of traditional forms/ideals of conservation and preservation

Rapid loss of traditional values, cultural identity and other
traditional indigenous knowledge systems resulting in confusion

Absence of post implementation follow-ups in any developmental initiatives

Blind implementation of developmental projects and initiatives without
prior study of the feasibility of the said initiative in a particular
region within a particular community or society particularly within an
indigenous community

Lack of education and sustainability for grass-root development
resulting in a poverty, ignorance stricken population leading to
social evils like child labour, etc

Lack of a development initiatives that is in tandem with traditional
socio-cultural setups among grass-root populations

Increase in dependency due to loss of self reliance as a result of
deteriorating socio-cultural environment

Growing class based segregation within the community on the basis of
wealth and influence (economic & political power)

Growing power struggle among the community sometimes taking the form
of inter clan based conflicts or church based conflicts or conflicts
based on political allegiance

Increase in drugs and alcohol abuse

Increase in sexual promiscuity, un-safe sex leading to fear/high
possibility of the existence of a hidden population inflicted with
HIV&AIDS and other STDs (no proper investigation regarding this matter
has been done either by Govt. or non-govt. agencies and therefore
merit prompt and immediate action)

Increased frustrations, disillusionments, discontents, acute
deprivations as a result of hay-wired development scenario that
ultimately lead to various conflicts within and without.

Even after the advent of development and modernization, the gap
between the numerous Indian tribals who have been living in isolation
or partial isolation from time immemorial and the people living in the
valley who are politically and economically more powerful and often
linked to national or international market and the people living in
the hills who have been in relative deprivation, have grown bigger due
to lack of infrastructure and other basic amenities for development.
Many hill people still practice traditional modes of production and
nomadic land use, for example, shifting cultivation, hunting and
gathering with a village-based administration which does not extend
beyond the community and have thus retained many social handicaps and
economic hardships which set them apart from the mainstream or the
more affluent society in the valley leading to further
marginalization.

Proposals:

Grass-root awareness campaigns at a multi-dimensional level
encompassing all aspects like education (basic and elementary),
revitalization of traditional social structure and mechanisms, sex,
drugs & alcohol etc.

Identification of crucial players/connectors among the grass-root
population and increase direct interventions through minimization of
middlemen by the implementing agency

Greater coordination of players (both state & non-state actors) at the
local, regional, national and international level through increased
and effective networking

Identification of the needs or issues that the population regards as
most important to them

All the above suggestions and proposals to be carried out through:

a. Analysis, understanding and restructuring of techniques and
methodologies of approaches to development intervention through
greater and more in-depth researches and studies

b. Grass-root interventions in the form of training, workshop etc to
bring about awareness and other necessary knowledge required for
bringing consciousness on the need for judicious and sustainable ways
of utilizing available resources

c. Combining traditional knowledge and values with modern knowledge,
values and techniques to strengthen and build up local capacities

As the benefits of governmental policies and programmes are being
questioned and there is rising awareness that the conventional model
of development and growth have worked in favour of the rich and
powerful. Therefore, the need is “problem based interventions” rather
than “solution based” thinking. In order to overcome the weaknesses of
the rural development programme, it is necessary to decentralize the
developmental process. This will lead to greater participation of
women and will also increase accountability on the part of the
authorities. The conventional world of social development has been
slow in recognizing the significance of indigenous knowledge. Experts
have been very much disinclined in appreciating the vast storehouse of
indigenous knowledge systems. Local knowledge repossession and local
knowledge management has been a major omission in our conventional
pursuits of development goals and activates. This has resulted in
local communities appearing as a bundle of problems, rather than as
plethora of opportunities.

Immediate need:

Identification of model village/s (as applicable) where all the above
proposals can be initiated so as to see the viability of all the above
proposals

Note: Local capacity and confidence building through effective
interventions on Community mobilization through massive campaigns is
needed.

The smiles of the children were beautiful but the smiles were of ignorance of their situation and future. What will happen when they are able to grasp the reality around them? Will they be another generation that will take up the path of violence stemming from
frustrations, hopelessness, disillusionments or ignorance or can there be hope for a brighter future for them that will enable them to be a generation of peace-loving people?

Report Published by:
Centre for Indigenous Culture and Development Studies,
on the 4th of March, 2009,
Shillong, Meghalaya