Speech by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP at the All India Vanavasi Kalyana (Tribal Welfare) conference, Bengaluru 21st September 2008
Parampoojya Sri Sri Srimad Ragheveshwara Bharati Swamiji, Manya Sri Jagdevramji, National President of Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Manya Shri BS Yedyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka and all the dedicated workers of Kalyan Ashram who have gathered here for the 3 day conference and distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the audience:
I consider it a privilege and honor to be presiding over this function and to be speaking to all of you. To be on the same platform as Pooja Sri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swamiji of Sri Ramchandrapur math a great spiritual leader of India and Manya Jagdevramji a great social and cultural leader of the nation and Shri Yedyurappa our Chief Minister who is driving a new inclusive and rapid development model for my state – is a pleasure and honor.
Let me start by taking this opportunity to welcome all of you to Bengaluru – our proud city! I wish the three day summit of state level workers of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram a grand success.
Vanavasis who constitute 8.5% of our countrys population- 9 crore vanavasis live in India and unfortunately have for many decades been out of Governments development equation and radar. we all know them to nature worshippers like the great Rishis of Ancient Bharat. Though economically disadvantaged for several centuries, Vanavasis are culturally rich and live a life of integrity and values that is fast disappearing from the rest of India. They have a rich tradition of defending our country and have produced legendary figures like Birsa Munda, Punja Bhil, Rani Durgavathi, Rai Guidinlue, Raja Venkatappa Nayak, a Valmiki King from Surpur, Rama Habsi a guard of Kittur Ranni Chennamma.
In my view and experience, there are two types of true Deshbhakts . One type of hero is the one who protects our nation and the other is the hero who works tirelessly to develop our India and all our countrymen and give them a better future.
While brave warriors of our Armed forces fall into the first category - The work of Kalyan Ashram which is aimed at developing the long ignored vanavasis of India falls into this second category. I consider all of you and your work as heroic work and I respectfully salute each and every one of you. You are doing crucial welfare work amongst the long neglected tribal communities of our nation and this is a critical and important part of developing an India where all its people have opportunity and progress.
The organizations Sewa projects have reached tribal communities in different parts of India. The organizations activities empoweres tribals in the fields of education, Economic development and health care. It is heartening to know that the organization runs more than 14,000 service projects spread across 11,000 locations covering almost all aspects of Vanavasi community – including providing free hostels for girls and biys, Balwadis for kids, sports centers to nurture inherent talent in Archery and other sports etc.
The organization runs self-help groups, tailoring centers, krishi vikas kendras and awareness meets. To promote better health care facilities the organization has started health centers and mobile medicat units to reach the far and unreached. Trained Volunteers of VKK are also available to work with NGOs- an example of which is Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra pioneered by a Dr Sudharshan and to Seva Sagara at Bachhodi in Sagar Taluk, run by Sri Baburao Desai whose efforts all of us are proud of.
These efforts are all carried out by volunteers and their efforts of selfless and dedicated work are to be appreciated – relenteless working for comprehensive development of Vanavasi community. In todays world where there are so many other opportunities and temptations such volunteer work and efforts make them true heroes of our nation. I salute them again. All of us here in Karnataka and bengaluru should do our best to support the efforts of these volunteers and workers of Vanavasi Kalyana Ashram. I will in my role as Member of Parliament and as President of FICCI continue to do as much as I can.
In addition to the development challenges facing Vanvasis, the two critical threats to their way of life and culture are the increasing demand of land by Business and the indiscriminate and callous use of the Land Acquisition act by state governments and secondly the implementation issues flowing from the Forest Rights act 2006.
On the issue of Land acquisition, I have spoken out and written against the land acquisition by governments of the kind in Singur and Nandigram and elsewhere – where landowners are almost forcibly coerced to surrender their land. This without a doubt is wrong and is doomed to create social unrest if not immediately then in the medium term. Let me assure you that I and FICCI have taken STRONG public positions against such land acquisition models. I believe the only way to do this is to ensure that Land acquisition is done with consent of the landowners and even then provide compensation through additional land and/or look at leasing existing land to user etc. I support the models here in Karnataka of consent acquisition and other governments like Maharashtra are also following suit with a referendum amongst villagers in Raigarh distt before proceeding with Land acquisition. There is increasing consensus that land for business should be focused on barren land and should result in minimum or no dispruption or need for rehabilitation. The point proposed by Kalyan Ashram that historical tribal lands must be treated as no displacement or least displacement alternative has merits given the many years of ownership and habitation of these lands and the relatively recent development progress amongst the community. I completely support the position of VK about providing replacement land for the owner and will do everything necessary in both Parliamentary forum and the Business forums to advocate the suggestions and points made by the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram in this regard.
Similarly the Forest Rights act – as well intentioned as it is – has many many implementation lacunae and I have recently studied this. The Forests act was enacted to give basic rights over Forest land back to Vanvasis to whom the land has historically belonged. The crux is how the Vanvasis get this right back. The Act provides for a 3tier scrutiny of claims with a Forest rights committee initiating the scrutiny. Three separate forms are required and it is in the area of occupancy proof that there are many lacunae developing and causing roadblocks. I promise to take this up as well at the earliest with the Forests Ministry at the Centre so that the good intentions and objectives of the Forest act become a reality and not get bogged down in these roadblocks and problems.
President Kalam in his vision India 2020 himself has said, “If India is to become developed nation by 2020, we cannot neglect the 8 crore Vanavasis”. Let me end by saying, I did before – the work of Volunteer organizations like Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram are critical to achieve our objective and goal of a strong and vibrant india where every person has a reasonable chance to a life of dignity. Almost 9 Crore Vanavasis are direct beneficiaries of their efforts. I salute you and your efforts and reiterate that it is all our responsibility to contribute in any way to support Vanavai Kalyana Ashrama and make it emerge even stronger and transform even more lives in the Vanavasi community.
Thank you and Jai Hind.