The Wounds That May Not Heal….
By Sudhir Pattnaik
19 January, 2006
Countercurrents.org
The unfolding of the Kalinga Nagar tragedy continues shocking the sense and sensibilities of any one who has got a mind to think. We did not believe when the eyewitnesses of the massacre narrated to some reporters that "the injured tribals taken away by the police were all alive with some injuries but they were told that they were dead" and that "they wouldn't accept this". We had also difficulties in accepting the truth that hands of the same people have been chopped off and we waited for the cameras to capture the barbaric and cruel acts to convince our eyes. But the media gave an interesting twist to the heinous crime, "the dead bodies have been mutilated" and the state responded promptly by shifting the burden to the doctors who did the anatomy by suspending them from service. Once again we refused to believe when they complained that genitals of 5 men and the breasts of a woman have been brutally cut, since no camera had captured this ugly and inhuman act of our police. The civilized world has a habit of manufacturing and consuming lies but the tribals are a different set of people who still symbolize truth and honesty barring the few who have been Brahminized and adequately educated about "development". Here I am reminded of Harold Pintner's poem and a note on it, which he cited in his noble acceptance speech:
" I have referred to death quite a few times this evening. I shall now quote a poem of my own called 'Death'.
Where was the dead body found?
Who found the dead body?
Was the dead body dead when found?
How was the dead body found?Who was the dead body?
Who was the father or daughter or brother
Or uncle or sister or mother or son
Of the dead and abandoned body?Was the body dead when abandoned?
Was the body abandoned?
By whom had it been abandoned?Was the dead body naked or dressed for a journey?
What made you declare the dead body dead?
Did you declare the dead body dead?
How well did you know the dead body?
How did you know the dead body was dead?Did you wash the dead body?
Did you close both its eyes?
Did you bury the body?
Did you leave it abandoned?
Did you kiss the dead body?When we look into a mirror we think the image that confronts us is accurate. But move a millimeter and the image changes. We are actually looking at a never-ending range of reflections. But sometimes a writer has to smash the mirror - for it is on the other side of that mirror that the truth stares at us.
I believe that despite the enormous odds, which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination, as citizens, to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation, which devolves upon us all. It is in fact mandatory.
If such a determination is not embodied in our political vision we have no hope of restoring what is so nearly lost to us - the dignity of man ."
Tribals don't have dignity: they are not human. We may only sympathize with them if they have been butchered but it is all right if we take away their land, their resources, their only means of livelihood and ultimately make them die a silent death. For us slow and silent death is not violence. This has further confused the whole issue, which has manifested in Kalingnagar ( Kashipur is still fresh in our memory). Several groups political and non-political seem to have got involved in the humanistic aspect of the issue. "So many people died, which could have been avoided"- happens to be the standard state friendly reaction enough to cover up the real reasons of resistance. Since the affected people of Kalinganagar have put up demands for which mainstream political parties do not have any training and orientation to accept and digest, there is a possibility that the protesting tribals might get further alienated much to the pleasure of the administration.
Secondly, the state has posted a very skilled person as the district collector. He had been posted as the POSCO collector in Jagatsingpur district, which he served till his recent posting. A positive image about this person has been systematically built in the media. He had the experience of handling the once powerful movement of tribals in Nabarangpur by effectively mediating between the leaders and the ruling party leadership. The tribal leadership in Nabarangpur is now fully with the BJD leadership and much of the credits go to the present collector of Jajpur. This person knows very well how to get closer to the leadership and how to defuse a movement by alienating the leaders from their people.
Thirdly, there is a state sponsored or state inspired media campaign to prevent any progressive political forces from coming nearer to the Kalinganagar tribals by continuously planting stories about a possible maoist link to the movement. Once the movement gets isolated it would be easier to initiate a silent process of repression, which would not invite unwarranted media attention.
Fourthly any one who is watching the news reports would realize that the state is least bothered about the real demands of the tribals. It is going ahead with its rehabilitation and resettlement agenda without any resistance from the official opposition parties. The state seems to have become more restless to ensure rapid industrialization. The only thing that seems to have changed now after the Kalinganagar tragedy is that the state does not want to make any vulgar display of its aggressive character.
All these happen because the state is completely under the control of market forces. No market force in the world can claim to be humane. Therefore, it is time for everyone and every progressive people's force to do or invite death. It is time to come together and make common strategies to challenge the new Avatar of the state. One must remember there is no alternative left other than this, and tomorrow may be too late…
