The Hindu : 'Poor suffering due to civil unrest, communalism'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2003

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National

'Poor suffering due to civil unrest, communalism'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 17. Activists, policy-makers and non-government organisations came together here today to give the people at the grassroots a chance to be part of the debate on "security". The two-day symposium was organised by the Independent Commission for People's Rights and Development (ICPRD) to evolve a "development security" agenda.

The Member-Secretary, ICPRD, Nandini Azad, said: "We found that the condition of the poor at the grassroots was worsening due to civil unrest, communalism and ethnic conflict. Poverty and scarcity of resources at the local level leads to intense competition often culminating in social and economic conflict. Assertion of identities even leads to varied types of armed and violent strife. In this situation, frequent disruptions in economic activity are hurting the poor, women, and tribals in their attempt to earn their living. At the same time, the governance process continues to be grossly indifferent to the problems faced by the poor in their day-to-day life in these areas.'' Drawing a parallel between the naxalite movement in Bihar and the North-East, Bina Laxmi of the Centre for Strategic Studies, said: "Like in Bihar, there are two Governments that people have to cough up money to. Insurgency has become an industry for this region. There are about 58 armed rebel groups and every ethnic group has become armed. Rebel groups roam around armed and in their battle fatigues. We have to find a solution to the problem."

Pointing out the link between man-made drought and trafficking of women and children in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, Bhanuja of REDS, said: "As a direct result of the trafficking over the past five years, there have many deaths due to the HIV virus. From 2001 to 2002 there have been 292 famine suicides and hunger deaths in this region. One of the main impact of the drought that has plagued the Rayalseema area has been the trafficking of women and children.'' Kaushlendra Kumar of SKVP from Bihar in his paper on "Challenging Naxalism and Unrest Through Development Work" said the State was facing a naxalite movement started by oppressed agricultural workers. "This movement has led to a violent counter movement by landlords organising themselves in armed groups like the Ranbir Sena. These groups have now been organised along caste lines. The naxalite movement today in Bihar and Jharkhand does not have a basis of Marxist ideology, but it is much more a movement of criminals due to which a society is being torn from inside."

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