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Compassionate Development

By Stanzin Dawa

23 January, 2006
Countercurrents.org

On a foggy Sunday morning of 8th January 2006 an article on "Displaced development" by K Venkateshwarlu in Hindu Sunday magazine followed by an enlightening discussion with my dearest friend Nagendra Saroha on the similar topic was a food for the mind to think beyond the box. We have our own share of agreement and disagreement over the issue. The beauty of our friendship is being liberal and flexible on agreement for disagreement. Nagendra criticized the article for being lack of rationality. I humbly questioned his rationality over the irrationality of the author of the article. It was a tipping point to initiate the discussion…

The contained of the article and proceedings of our discussion compelled me to think, are we having development by choice or by chance? If it is development by chance, who decides it? If it is development by choice, why we have made such choices? What type of development we needed? How such development can be possible? Who are going to be the beneficiaries of such development? Is the existing system of development is democratic in the real sense or democracy is confine to the politics by casting one vote one person to form the government, which later ignore and alienate them from their own land and culture for the larger interest of the nation, which normally they justify. When government and corporations are intoxicated with profit, what will be the future of people who may not be so profitable? Where they will go?

The survival of a large number of indigenous peoples is increasingly being threatened by the development and implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects that are designed to maximize the extraction and utilization of natural resources. Today we have more than 25 million developmental refugees in the world. The displacement of indigenous peoples from their homes and traditional sources of livelihood without adequate alternatives being offered is a violation of human rights. The causes of all the conflict are violations of human rights in one form or other. Conflict of interest between indigenous people and government and their project partners have occurred and surfaced many times, sometimes it has taken the shape of violence. Often these people lose their fight against the mighty government. The government claimed and justify the project for the larger interest of the country for over all development, often sacrifices by these people are consider inevitable and insignificant. Many people have lost their lives in the struggle to protect their livelihood, culture, land and economy. "This is the latest round of our protest. We want officials from conducting survey of people affected by the Polavram project. What options do we have? The project may benefits others but for us it is spells doom" says Irpa Stayam to K. Venkateshwarlu. Irpa Stayam is a Koya tribesman of Alliguda, near Ravigudem, the last of the villages to de submerged by the project. After doing extensive study of feasibility of the project, the government and their project partners have established the project with a profit motive. The government should not hesitate to give due compensation to the affected people in their resettlement and rehabilitation. The directive principles of the state policy under Part IV of Indian constitution reflect the nature and responsibility of the Government for constructing an equitable, humane, peaceful and progressive country.

We do agree that the Government has got a great responsibility for social and economic development of the country. The country needs development in all sectors and more importantly in the power sector. Without power we cannot think of growth of the human civilization. The advancement of science and technology is based on power. The power generated by constructing mega dams can make your computer function, you can watch your favourate television programme, talk to your friends and relatives, can keep your food fresh in the refrigerator, can cover long distance in hours through airplanes and railways, illuminate your houses and streets, runs the factories and industries, enjoy the luxuries of air conditioning. Have you ever thought of the people who have lost everything in this whole process of making you little more affluent, luxuries and civilized. These people might not be modern educated, might not have seen a computer, might not be owning a TV. They don't travel by cars, don't live in air conditioned houses, don't have big factories and industries, don't have colleges and universities not even a good school, not accessible to the basic heath facilities, for decades and centuries they were living in harmony with the land, water and air.

Suddenly in the name of bigger and faster development they have been alienated from their own land and culture. The land which they made fertile after working for day and night under harsh condition, the houses they have built with love, the livestock which they reared and nurtured like children, the irrigation system which is the life line of their survival, the self sufficient economy which is the back bone of their sustenance, the traditional wisdom and technologies which they have developed and groomed for centuries, the culture and traditions which makes their identity virtually these all crucified, alienated and made extinct in the name of bigger and faster development. In the name of rehabilitation and resettlement they have been given the peanuts. It questioned the morality, vision and purpose of the government. These people have neither the skills to accommodate in the highly competitive urban market nor they have the resources to start a normal life again. In their own country by their own government they have been treated as an illegal citizens. Initially they have been alienated from their own land and later they were not accepted by the urban cities.

The architect of modern India the first prime minister Pandit Nehru, once given a statement that dam are the temple of modern civilization but for these people it has become a weapon of mass destruction. What was their fault? May be being born in such a community, being innocent, being politically not conscious, being illiterates, being not familiar with the complex revenue act, being not influenced by modern forces. It seems being simple is the toughest for survival, which is against the law of nature. If we intentionally play with the existing simplicity with a wasted interest it can bring more damages and destructions in the long run. Their community, culture, practices and system were very simple, not like modern system, which is confusing and sometime frustrating also. These communities were governed by mutual faith, respect to the nature, collective efforts and cooperative culture above all accommodates the whole community.

With the significant growth of science and technology, human civilization has got a big boost. As it is observed that the crime rates are increasing alarmingly. These are the repercussions of shortsighted and cruel disturbances to the integrity of rural and tribal areas. While villages and tribal areas are dying the urban slums is mushrooming very fast. In the year 1901 percentage of total population in the urban area was 10.8, by 2001 it has increased to 27.78 percentage. Government spends huge money in controlling crimes by establishing institutions like police, para military and military forces. Profits are a necessary condition for the growth of a country, and sustainable profits are crucial to the success of any long-term development of the country. Think sustainable profit is a key principle to guide the policies of the government that serve the needs of artisans, small farmers, shepherds, street vendors and many other classes of small producers around the country. In this context, government becomes facilitators, and leader of a long-term development process.

If we don't know where we are going any road can take us there. I must make it very clear that neither I am anti development nor anti reforms but the existing developmental policies and programmes discriminatory in which corporations reap large profits from their operations, the indigenous peoples, workers and their families subsist below the poverty line and endure poor living conditions with diseases and disabilities. It widens the gap between haves and have not. We don't need such development, what we needed is compassionate and equitable development, a development which can accommodate the need of all people irrespective of religion, region, caste, sex, locations, tribes and race. In a democratic system the fruits of the development must be distributed in a democratic way, otherwise democracy is like an advanced television technology without cable connection. Governments must recognize the rights of these people and strive to preserve and develop their societies within the context of their centuries-old systems, instead of pursuing a policy of extermination of traditional cultures in the name of modernization and progress. Otherwise, the backbone of India identity diversity in unity is a mere dream. The architect of Indian constitution has adopted democratic system of government, so that we not only tolerate the differences but also give due justice and representation irrespective of differences. In a democratic system when certain voiceless community gets perished in the developmental process, we must develop a mechanism to check such practices.

In the twenty first century every sixth human being will be an Indian. India's economy is second fastest growing and fourth largest in terms of purchasing power parity in the world. It is in top 10 in over all gross national product. India is the world largest democracy with nuclear power. We have more degree holders than the entire population of France. Today India is a food surplus country; its total export is more than 50 billion dollar. India has progress a long way after independence but still we have miles to go make this country a democratic in the real sense. India is a young developing nation, our people have rich and illustrious history as one of the longest living civilization in the world. The shortsighted and prejudiced modern civilization emphasized on external or physical development. Today we have bigger factories but lesser employment, bigger bombs but lesser security, bigger dams but lesser water, bigger town but lesser forest, bigger houses but lesser family, bigger universities but lesser wisdom. Today we have more governments but lesser governance, more courts but lesser justice, more temples but lesser peace. Today humanity has become the victim of human civilization. In 1835, even Lord Macaulay, the British historian politician had to admit before the parliament: "I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber…the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage…" Today we have the resources and wisdom to rediscover such an accomplished India, but the billion-dollar question is do we have the will and vision for the change we desired. In a democratic system people should actively participate in the over all functioning of the government it can only be possible if we empower all the citizen of the nation. All Indians irrespective of differences can only be empowered all of them. Empowerment of all Indians is only possible if the fundamental principle of our development is based on compassion. The seed of sustainable and equitable development lies in compassion.

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