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Annexure I:
Meeting of Solidarity Committee on Internally Displaced Tribal
Held on 17 January 2009
At: the office of Caring Citizen’s Collective, Barkathpura, Hyderabad
Few members of the solidarity group have met on 17th January 2009 to have a review on preceding year’s activities and to decide what is to be done in 2009:
Minutes of the meet:
Mr. Rajasekhar has initiated the meeting and stated that in the month of July, 2008
Solidarity Group have evolved with some rights organizations, NGOs and individuals to put pressure on the government of Andhra Pradesh to treat displaced tribal as the citizens of A.P., and all facilities and entitlements available to the people of A. P. shall also be
extended to displaced adivasis as the UN guiding principles on internal displacement prescribed. After the formation of Solidarity Group, conducted a state level consultation in Hyderabad to which nearly 150 displaced tribal have attended; facilitated a visit by a
group, comprising of electronic and print media, writers and activists to the settlements
of the displaced tribal of Bhadrachalam division.
The entire work related to IDPs has been divided into two spheres one is direct work with the IDPs such as running feeding centers, distribution of cloths donated by generous,
liaison with relevant government departments to extend ICDS, NREGS, PDS and health facilities, opposing the attacks of forest department meant to evict the IDPs. And solidarity group was formed to put pressure on the government to formulate a policy for the IDPs and to direct the departments of police and forest to stop harassing.
Significance of the meeting is to…..
- have a recollection of last year’s efforts
- in the counter filed by the state government of Chhattisgarh before the Supreme Court, agreed to compensate the loses incurred to the tribals such as houses, livestock and other properties - in this regard, to evolve an action plan which can ensure the victims to get compensation
- how to influence the government of AP to make a policy on internal displacement
- and what more need to be done in 2009
V. Gandhi Babu shared the achievements of the direct work in Bhadrachalam division as 4 RBCs have been running by the NGOs that funded by the government, and some regular and partly running ICDS centers were also opened for the displaced adivasis.
Though it may not be a great success, in two villages government has given job cards so that it was become easy to put demand before the government to replicate the same in all the settlements. He also mentioned that earlier it was happened to appeal to Mr. Sunnam Rajaiah, MLA, Bhadrachalam to raise the issue in assembly which was not taken place. This time, he assured that another attempt must be put to approach the MLAs, who can
raise the issue in forthcoming assembly session, perhaps, a last session of this term.
S. Jeevan Kumar observed that both the state governments are hostile to the entire issue
and they are terming it as menace. And the highest bodies of the country that are
Supreme Court and NHRC also not at all showing positive response towards the issue, in
these circumstances every body is loosing hopes and it is not at all easy to take a decision
that what to do? He proposed for an all party round table meet on the issue in Hyderabad,
which can facilitate the political parties to take a favorable action on the issue.
Dr. Rukmini Rao recounted that the efforts of the solidarity group must make the
government accountable to the issue. Apart from the solidarity group and some NGOs
working on the issue the individuals and organizations are also made to raise their voice
on the issue that would put more pressure on the government. She suggested that the
representations to various government departments should send along with the signatures
of all IDPs and must also be sent to UNICEF.
Ms. Aravinda, AID India opined that simultaneous to the state level consultations and
efforts local level meetings should be conducted in Bhadrachalam division with large mobilization of IDPs and these meetings should also involve local tribal and tribal
leaders. At one level, the process of obtaining civil rights including job cards,
anganwadi, rations, handpumps and all government services is required for survival and
sense of citizenship / sense of escaping refugee consciousness. Though some efforts in
this direction have succeeded here and there govt of AP has not as a policy reognized the
rights of the IDPs - doing so could prompt them to take a stand on the displacement itself
and raise the issue with govt of Chhattisgarh. In the long term the real solution is for the
people to assert their rights to their own land and to live in their own homes.
Mr. Ramakrishnam Raju shared his experiences of his visit to the settlements of displaced tribal and suggested that the problem of malnutrition is a serious phenomenon
and suggested for a special attention for malnourished children.
P.Raghu shared some practical aspects such as attaining voter identity cards - if initiation/promotion is started to register as voters then the IDPs have to go into the fold
of one political party and that would prejudice other parties, hence the issue may lost
their support and concern. He asked for the suggestions of the participants that what to
do for the situation.
He mentioned that with in 15 days the entire data of displaced tribal will be complied, once the data is ready he proposed that to send representations to various government
departments and wings such as state and central ST commissions, ministry of rural development, to the Governor of A.P and The president of India, possibly the
representations will go along with the signatures of solidarity group, eminent persons and IDPs.
Decisions taken by the meeting
- entire data of IDP’s will be finalized with in 15days
- once the data is finalized, representations shall be sent to various relevant government departments/wings
- collection of signatures of eminent persons and the IDPs on the representations
- all the representations shall also be sent to UNICEF
- all party round table meet shall be organized in Hyderabad
- MLA of Bhadrachalam will be approached to raise the issue in the forthcoming assembly session
Persons attended to the meeting:
1. S. Jeevan Kumar, Vice-president, Human Rights Forum
2. Dr. V. Rukmini Rao, Gramya Resource Centre for Women
3. B. Ramkrishnam Raju, NAPM (Andhra Pradesh Chapter)
4. Ms. Aravinda, AID India
5. Ravi Kuchimanchi, AID India
6. D. Srihari, AID India
7. Ms. Kathy, California, AID Volunteer
8. M.A. Shakeel, Human Rights Law Network
9. D. Padmavathi, HRLN
10. V. Gandhi Babu, ASDS
11. G. Rajasekhar, ASDS, and
12. P. Raghu, Action Aid
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