Tribals of India- The Fourth World

The radiant sun shone on the rustic skin, which had only known the scorching of heat and had smelt loose dust since birth. Amidst the forests, the tall trees intimidated her presence, she felt like a minuscule amongst the majestic shelter of the world. “How much do we need , a roof over the head and few morsels to survive ,then why does a man run endlessly and ceases to stop even for a while to let himself breath ,as if the moment he stops, his heart shall cease to beat”…she pondered.

In the name of progress, there has always been vandalism, exploitation by the rich and powerful ,leaving the oppressed more oppressed and diminishing their existence and presence.

Those cigar smoking people , dipping their fingers in scotch can never realize the value of a home . For the shelter-less devastated roofs and their insecure life is the truth of their world. They have been far away from the comforts leave aside luxuries dwelling in a closed well of adversities , fighting every moment for their survival and existence.

Nobody seems to know about them, nobody ever cares what happens to them? In the name of sustainability, meets and seminars are organized, but where? In the lobbies of five star hotels, where speakers and analysts speak loudly and debate on different ideas and calculations.

How can we be so insensitive?To know a perfect solution to such a crisis and problem, one has to be present actually at the real scenario, experience the real problems and then have guts to speak about it.

Leaving one community , like stranded animals to the mercy of the powerfully hypocritical bunch of businessmen and politicians who scandalize and dare to slay the humans like mass murder of animals slandering with a belief that they are clearing plague of the society. The fourth world thus lives in a ring of obliviousness of the outer world still unaware of the advancement of humans and recent techniques, away from the inhumaneness of the society. They still live and are alive not on the alms provided by the rich, but by the virtues and innocence of being humans.

India is the home to large number of indigenous people, who are still untouched by the lifestyle of the modern world. With more than 84.4 million, India has the largest population of the tribal people in the world. Corporate culture and government policies are pushing the innocent tribals to a corner and struggle for their existence and survival. They are the illiterate ones who have been away from the modern day education or learning.As the govt now passes the Forest Rights Act acquiring land of tribals , cancelling their community land rights , without first ensuring alternative livelihood and initiative ,snatching their sole property for mining and other purposes ,will this kind of corporate culture and govt policies push innocent people to a corner of extremism?

Whom can we blame ,is there any other opportunity provided by the govt or these corporate sectors towards settlement or work ?

Whether they are the tendu patta pickers who survive on the tobacco leaves or the tea plantation workers, the tribals from northeast or from the interiors of Bastar , these communities have never been counted or noticed in the long run. Developments happened in towns, cities and metros connecting and upgrading these places with technological advances yet the interiors of every unknown world was let to live in darkness. Education remaining far from their reach and in the name of security, these vulnerable people got exploited to such an extent, that are revolts in certain areas and some turning to the ways of Naxalism.

For years and centuries , they have been living far away from the world, fighting for their existence silently, then violently and now with an outrage ,completely burning the peace of society. Such an imbalance within a society often leads to this kind of disturbance and chaos , leading to extremism and frustration. The talks and ideas of Marxism or Socialism, are left only on the tables of politics, once they reach the cup of tea to the lips of these selfish power holders, they cease to exist.

Meanwhile the progressive minds which exploited lands and every inch of place left in cities, turn towards the ecological treasure to mint their ways there.

“In modern times,

they puffed and smoked

the rings of callousness rose

Oh! the well of grim

dark and deep

invisible to the naked eye of dreams

Forget the tinkling sound of coins

count later after a while

the paper and plastic cards tucked in wallets

In dearth ,

dugs and buries itself

the agony of human

losing humaneness…

the precious birth ,once they said.

now to hell with this birth…they aghast..

who curses?

god or human?

control your tongue…

Tis’ spineless

wretched the destitute impoverish

selfish affluent

ceremoniously

hold the cigar of humanity

between their lips,

hypocrite’ , cries the soul…

they laugh and smirk away”

Politicization is the worst form of converting or diffusing a real problem into nothing and by blowing up a tiny spark into a raging fire. For the cause and intention of meeting selfish ends, this game of politics has a bigger role and the players being the one in power and those from the creamy layer of an unrealistic society.Thus protests or voices of these tribes are deviated to gain political fronts.

Fourth world until untouched had been deprived of the necessities of life and living, barring them from other means of livelihood. When this world gets the knowledge of education, the bare necessities of life without being pruned and threshed, a new path of progress will be reinstated.

Then sustainability would play its role vitally in a broader way of sustainable development, for any development to occur, equality and equal opportunities should be given first.

Related article: http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/chhattisgarh-govt-cancels-tribal-rights-over-forest-lands-116021601327_1.html

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