In a clear message to Maoists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday that no sustained economic activity is possible under the shadow of gun in tribal areas where decades of alienation is taking a "dangerous" turn. He said there has been a "systemic failure" in giving tribals a stake in the modern economic processes and emphasised that the "systematic exploitation and social and economic abuse of our tribal communities...

DINDIGUL: Tribals from different villages on the Kodaikanal hill on Monday organised a demonstration here on Monday to flay a move to displace them from their land by Forest Department officials. They appealed to the government to implement the Forest Rights Act and redraw tribal areas. They alleged that forest officials prevented tribal people from collecting forest produces such as honey and firewood for their survival and foisted cases against...

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 18: Members of tribal communities living in the hills and forests of Malkangiri in Orissa are a jubilant lot these days, as they have finally become owners of land that they and their ancestors have been living on for years now. Cultivation being the main source of livelihood for them, possession of these title certificates for forestland (pattas) where they have been residing meant much to the Bondas, Koyas...

Displacement has become a leading source of discontent and impoverishment in India and many other developing countries. In the case of some vulnerable groups like tribals, it is perhaps the leading source of poverty and discontent resulting in widespread violence in several places. Thus policies which promote large-scale displacement not only increase poverty, these are also a threat to peace and democracy. Unfortunately it has been taken for granted by many...

Just when everyone thought that the debate over large dams was settled against displacement, mega dams are back in business. Refusing to learn from our own mistakes are the three newly created states, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. The three states are locked in battles against one another to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to construct several large dams and barrages ostensibly to give a push to a new wave of...