Displaced tribes require shelter. In India the displaced tribes who are compelled to leave their lands due internal violence, whether related to Naxalite violence or other forms of violence, require sympathy from the State Governments of the other states. Since 2005 around 30,000 to 50,000 people fled to the State of Andhra Pradesh from the state of Chhattisgarh due to the escalating violence of that place. The displaced communities including members of Gothikoya tribe mainly settled in the Khammal and Warrangal districts of Andhra Pradesh and small villages like Kothuroo. The violence took place mainly due to the existence of the naxalites, armed Maoist groups, Salwa Judum groups, etc. Many of the displaced tribal groups settled in the protected forest areas. The AP Government authorities burned down the temporary accommodation of most of the displaced communities and forcibly evicted them from the forest lands as the Government realized that the stay was illegal. According to the finding of the International Association of People’s lawyers (IAPL), having members from India, Brazil, Belgium, Turkey, Nepal, etc., in some of the cases the displaced persons included women and children who were transferred into trucks by the application of force and were transported to the state boundary which was distant from their place of stay. IAPL was invited to observe and report on the situation of Chhattisgarh and they visited many places of Chhattisgarh in October, 2007. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Forum for Fact-Finding Documentation and Advocacy (FFDA) also gave a similar report. Those members of the displaced communities who came from Dornapal, Penta and Dubatotta, who still remained in border areas of Andhra Pradesh got threatened by the Salwa Judum members and the government security officials. Those members who somehow or the other managed to settle down in the area faced the problem of meeting the needs of the children. The tribes which were affected the most include the Gothikoya tribe. Some of the children who were previously studying in any of the primary institutions in the State of Chhattisgarh could not be admitted in any school in Andhra Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh the medium of exchange used to be Hindi while in Andhra Pradesh the medium of exchange was Telegu. The major reason why the displaced communities require justice is because they had to leave the land where they had livelihood in the State of Chhattisgarh due to severe violence existing in the state due to the intervention of the government and action of government against the naxalites, the Maoist groups and members of Salwa Judum.
Especially the villages of Dantewada and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh were affected the most due to the naxalite violence. The naxalites during the contemporary period got involved in bombings, abduction, execution of civilians, etc. The displaced communities have faced problems of every kind and dimension in the states of Andhra Pradesh. Firstly they lost their livelihood. Most of the members of the displaced communities were involved with agriculture and as such could not find new livelihood in the parts of Andhra Pradesh where they settled. They were not skilled or semi-skilled to do any other type of mechanical work to support their living. There was not any kind of standard sanitary system existing in the area. There was not adequate food supplied for the displaced people. To make matters worst children within the age group of 10 to 12 years were used by the security department of state of Chhattisgarh as informers who could assist the security officials in their fight against naxalite movement. These children had risked their lives in the process and there was no compensation given by the government to the families of the children in case they died due to the risky affair. Neither these children got justice, not support and were exploited by the security officials. The state of Andhra Pradesh had to treat the displaced communities sympathetically. They are internally displaced communities and are the victims of naxalite movement in the neighboring areas. As they entered the state due to emergency and had no way of returning back to the original place of stay, the government can use the unskilled labor force to do manual work like making railway tracks and other work which does not require skill or mental capability. The Andhra Pradesh government can open few English medium or Hindi medium schools in the border districts where the children of the displaced communities can get primary education. The state government should stop forcible eviction of the communities out of the state. At the same time the Government of Andhra Pradesh should work with the government of Chhattisgarh to reduce the naxalite violence in the neighboring states so that none of the village communities have the requirement of displacement from their native lands. More projects should be undertaken by the government so that some group of the displaced community can be given employment. Even by introducing the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007, and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill (2007), the legislature had prescribed social impact assessment for the displaced tribes. The Bills still don’t have binding force as they are not enacted till now. But the livelihood concerns of the displaced tribes got emphasis in the Bill in reality they require paramount consideration. If the displaced group can be treated with humanity they can end up becoming a useful workforce for the state, otherwise their oppression can give rise to fresh violence in the state the way it happened in other border states of India. There is hope that the Andhra Pradesh Government will revisit its policy towards to the displaced community in the months to come.
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