Sustainable Development Goals in India: Ambitious, but Achievable

Link to the Full paper: https://gcap.global/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SDGs-in-India-Ambitious-but-achievable.pdf

This paper is jointly done by me and Amitabh Behar, CEO, Oxfam India for the book titled, "2030 Agenda and India: Moving from Quantity to Quality" published in December 2019 by Springer publication.

Sustainable Development Goals in India: Ambitious, but AchievablePradeep Baisakh (GCAP) and Amitabh Behar (OXFAM India)

This paper focuses on the discussion around the role of civil society in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), starting from its framing to implementation, and on different mechanisms of monitoring and accountability. It aims to evaluate the contribution of civil society in SDG implementation, and make recommendations to achieve the goals.

The Agenda 2030, which is popularly known as SDGs, was adopted by the United Nations in September 2015 involving extensive process of consultation with various stakeholders, including the civil society and reckoning the learning from the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The civil society played a key role in the drafting phase by advocating with the governments and the UN systems, and by undertaking mass actions. The paper briefly discusses about progressive provisions and shortcomings of the SDGs. India has shown adequate commitment at the top level for its execution; and structures to carry out the implementation have been put on place. However, things are hardly changing on the ground. While some of the policy initiatives are in line of the SDGs, many are not in sync with the leave no one behind (LNOB) slogan. Civil Society has been active in many ways in influencing the implementation process, monitoring and seeking accountability. The paper finally makes some key recommendations vis-à-vis the role of the civil society for better implementation of the SDGs.

https://countercurrents.org/2019/09/triumph-of-people-power

The piece was published Countercurrents on September 29, 2019

Triumph of People Power

in India — by Pradeep Baisakh — September 29, 2019 

On 7th September, thousands of people gathered at the Raj Mahal square in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha and protested against the implementation of the newly amended Motor Vehicle Act, 2019. Under the amended law, implemented from September 1, the police are collecting hefty penalties from common people for the violation of traffic rules e.g. not wearing helmets, not using a seat belt, not having the driving license and insurance, not having the pollution certificate, drunken driving so on and so forth. On the day, when the police were collecting fines, the driver of a media house van was also penalized for not using a seat belt. A tiff started with the police thereafter on how the fines would be deposited. Gradually people joined in one by one and the crowd swelled to thousands in a few moments. The agitated people then took law unto their hands and started checking the papers of the government vehicles and found that the drivers of the police van, the Municipality vehicle and the transport department bus were not wearing seat belts. Some documents of these government vehicles were also missing. Senior police officials rushed to the spot to handle the situation but failed. People asked the authorities why they are being treated like criminals while the government vehicles are let off. The collective anger had come to a state of being exploded. People went on the rampage – broke the police van, started pelting stone at the police, etc. The police also resorted to lathi charge disperse the crowd. The incidence forced the Chief Minister to relax the implementation of the act from the next day for three months.

Photo Credit: Manoj Kumar Swain

It may look like a one-off incidence, but the incidence has larger democratic connotations.

For the last one week, one was witnessing a complete police raj across the state. In an instance, an auto driver was fined as much as 47,500 rupees for various violations in Bhubaneswar, and the government proudly declared to have collected 88.9 lakhs lakh rupees in penalties in just four days, which was highest in India!  People were taken aback by the swiftness with which the government decided to implement the amended act. The amended bill was adopted by the Parliament on July 31 and eventually became an act, which came to an effect on September 1. The amended law aims at making the roads and driving safer. Unconventional requirements like the pollution checking, which is completely a new concept for many drivers in Odisha, both private and commercial – demanding fines on such violations were audacious. And look at the quantum of the fines!

The said auto driver was fined 500 rupees for general offence, 5,000 rupees for driving without a valid license,2,000 rupees for not having the insurance, 10,000 rupees for drunken driving, 10,000 rupees for not having pollution clearance certificates, 5,000 rupees for using a vehicle without registration and fitness certificate, rupees 10,000 for violating permit conditions. 5000 rupees for allowing unauthorized person to drive.

On the day of confrontation, during the lathi-charge, two constables were seen beating a video journalist who fell down while suiting the incidence. It was a clear attempt to shoot the messenger – another characteristic of a police state.

In a phase of economic slowdown affecting everyone’s pocket, forcefully collecting such hefty penalties, which are severely disproportionate to the violations done, without any prior warning for preparedness, was not to be taken easily by the people at large. Everyone, small and big, felt the pinch. Extensive media coverage and widespread criticism by people and political leaders could not relent the stubborn government, which continued to “extort” people under the garb of a draconian law.

People Power: In a democracy, people elect the government in a regular interval and the latter is expected to govern the state fulfilling the will of people. If people find the government unworthy, it votes the same out and brings another party to power. India being a Constitutional democracy, the laws and governance should be in consonance with its provisions, not in its violation. And there are institutional mechanisms existing in our country for people to approach and redress their grievances e.g. the courts, the human rights commissions etc. However, when all of these do not work, people do come to the streets, and peaceful demonstrations are permitted as a fundamental right. But in this case, breathing space was not given forcing people to turn violent during protests. The gathering was extemporaneous in nature; similar to the mass protests erupted after the Nirbhaya incidence in 2012, where everyone felt being vulnerable.

Photo Credit: Manoj Kumar Swain

A people-friendly government takes all the necessary steps so that people do not come to the streets. Their grievances were addressed beforehand. In this particular case, the Naveen Patnaik government failed the test. It behaved like a dictatorial government with brutal use of police power. It could have gone the West Bengal way and not implement the law right away.

The abrupt implementation of the law without any prior awareness drive was unreasonable. The hefty character of penalties cannot pass any tests of reasonableness either, though that’s for the courts to decide. But from an auto driver’s perspective, who earns 15,000 rupees a month to support his family in the times when the cost of living is so high, a fine of 47,500 rupees is certainly unjust and unreasonable. The irony is that the amended law also has made the contractors accountable for bad roads; the government, however, did not prefer to implement the same though many areas in Bhubaneswar have very rough roads. It, instead, it chose the soft targets – the common people. The purpose of penalties in case of traffic violations ought to be reformative in character, not retributive.

When a draconian law is implemented in a forceful way, people do come out in open to protest, which many a time take a violent turn. It happens across the globe. See the instance in Hong Kong, where people are doing violent protests against a proposed extradition bill for the last four months, finally forcing the Hong Kong government to withdraw the same. Under the proposed law, the suspects from Hong Kong would have been taken to Mainland China to be tried in the Judicial System, widely believed to be opaque. This is the victory of people power. The incidence at the RajMahal Square, which was followed by the state government revising its decision, is also an instance of the triumph of people.

Pradeep Baisakh is a senior journalist based in Bhubaneswar. Email: 2006pradeep@gmail.com

Citizens must not just blame the government but criticise it

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/interviews/governance/-citizens-must-not-just-blame-the-government-but-criticise-it--66445

The interview was carried in Down To Earth magazine (Website) on August 30, 2019

By Pradeep Baisakh

Public policy expert Rajendra Pratap Gupta speaks about his new book

Rajendra Pratap Gupta, a public policy expert, who has held several positions in the central government, has published his second book titled ‘Your Vote is Not Enough’. His first book, ‘Health Care Reforms in India: Making up for the Lost Decades’ was on health reforms. The second book charts out strategies for citizens to engage with the government for ensuring better governance. The book also deals with ways for more job creation and annual GDP growth of 12 percent. Excerpts from an interview.

Is Your vote is not enough!  just another motivational book or a serious call to citizens to get involved in the governance process?

This book has a clear message for every citizen of conscience. We need to be constantly engaged with the government. Our work starts much before we vote and continues much later after we have voted.

You are saying that taking part in voting once in five years is not enough. Citizens need to go beyond. Are you too ambitious? In a country where half of the population struggles to meet their basic requirements, you are asking them to question a mighty government?

I, as a common man, have taken up various issues from time to time. This book dwells in detail about the right strategy to take on the mighty system and effectuate changes for the betterment of our society and lives.

The manifesto of the political parties is a guide to government. What role can citizens play after the manifesto is out?

In my view, commitments promised in the election manifesto should be sacrosanct, and voters do have a right to follow up and seek answers from the government.

Citizens must write to the people who are responsible.  Also, if the economic scenario and national priorities change after the elections, people have a right to send details with facts and data and ask the government to address the issue in light of the new developments.

Media plays a big role in shaping public opinion. When most of the media is busy with issues of nationalism ignoring many real issues like unemployment and inequality, how do you expect citizens behave rationally?

Governments must not take voters for granted, and voters must live up to a level of awakening so that governments cannot take them for granted. I tried to do it in my own small way through this book, where I quoted all the data and connected all the relevant dots and made a case of how we can transform the economy and address the issue of job creation.

Also, citizens must not only blame the government but criticise it. When one criticises the government, one should also suggest solutions.

You have introduced a new concept called, ‘cost of job creation’. Please explain it.

We cannot address any issue without understanding the cost associated with it. We keep ranting that we need 1-1.2 crore jobs every year, but do we know the cost associated with it?

I spoke with business owners and analysed the data on the cost of job creation in India. I think it is clear that the Indian government will have to invest between Rs 3 - 3.6 lakh crore every year to create jobs and boost the economy.

Also, one more fact came to light, that the bigger the enterprise, the higher the cost of job creation. So, we have to invest more in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to address the perennial issue of job creation. Else, saving jobs will be tougher, leave alone job creation.

You say agriculture will continue to be a major employer for rural areas. But it is a failed sector given the rate of farm suicides.

Agriculture has not failed. We have failed agriculture.  Agriculture, rural development and the economy are intertwined. If agriculture slows down, our economy will slow down.

If agriculture grows, our economy also grows. We need to address the issue holistically. Which means the ministries of agriculture, rural development, food processing, road transport and MSME will have to work together to address the issue. If we address the issues holistically, India can grow 12 per cent per annum easily.

You say, personality development for the youth should be promoted as the major service sector activity. It seems to be an interesting area of intervention. How shall the country be benefitted from it?

We have educated youth who don’t get jobs. We have an education system that is bookish and about rote learning. Mannerism and personality development are not taught.

When youth are equipped with soft skills along with appropriate training, we will address the issue of competence. Without which, merely having a degree will not help. So, I believe, personality development will play a major role in changing the issue of job security over time and is a big business opportunity.

You want to promote the ancient concept of ‘Food as Medicine’. Then the Pizza Huts and KFCs will have to shut shop! Will the young masses listen to you?

Evidence, incentives and enforcement hold the key. We need to first understand the calorific intake in our current lifestyles, show people the evidence and impact of an unhealthy lifestyle, and then, coach people about healthier options.

Also, food products that fall beyond the threshold of calorific intake should be marked with a ‘black dot’. Those that are healthy, must get incentives like lower premiums, higher increments and higher retirement age.

Similarly, we need to disincentivise people whose Body Mass Index is above 23. This needs a comprehensive approach. Else, the nation will lose heavily in the next three decades. Currently, the average age is touching 29 years and it is the right time for planning a behavioural change programme aimed at preventive health.

Regarding your proposition on ‘Moving towards a distributive growth model’, let’s be honest in analysing its feasibility. At least the current greed-based consumerist model growth is not distributive. It is rather exclusive in its character. Inequality is on the rise and cost of living is skyrocketing.

That’s true. But with the current pace, we are headed for a civil war in the next two decades. We cannot have a few large firms grossing 78 per cent of the profits in the country.

We need to learn from Germany, where 99 per cent of the businesses are small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs distribute wealth creation and large-scale manufacturing consolidate business and profits. The choice is ours and the time is now.

And finally you suggest reforming the bureaucracy. How can we do it?

The process of lateral entry has already started. But we need to go beyond what we are doing. Secretary-level appointments will also have to be sectoral experts. We need to gradually do away with tenured jobs and make them performance-based contracts. Revolving door policy (between industry, armed forces, academia and government) will be important to make this happen.

What are your three key expectations from the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi? 

a. 3-3.60 lakh crore budget stimulus for economic growth for the next 3-5 years

b. Governance reform (judiciary and bureaucracy)

c. Massive reforms in the education Sector

The piece was published on July 9, 2019, at the Countercurrents.org

https://countercurrents.org/2019/07/sustainable-development-is-meaningless-for-these-people-in-an-indian-village

Sustainable Development is meaningless for these people in an Indian village

By Pradeep Baisakh — July 9, 2019

The United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) commences from 9th July and will continue till 18th July in the UN headquarters in New York, which will, among other discussions, review the working of the much-touted Agenda 2030, also known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and suggest course corrections so that we achieve 17 ambitious goals by 2030. The SDGs were adopted in 2015 and this comprehensive review is taking place in the fourth year of its implementation.
Last to last week my friend and I visited a village in Puri district of Odisha to distribute some relief material in which is affected by Super Cyclone Fanithat hit the coastal area of the state on May 3 this year.

Let me mention the condition of one hamlet, BhoiSahiin the Kurujangavillage of Kuanpada Panchayat under Gop block of Puri district in Odisha state in India and link to the sustainable development.

The hamlet has 17 households and all of them belong to the Dalit community, which is discriminated in India based on work and descent (DWD). The houses were made up of mud with a thatched roof, and were completely damaged during the cyclone with a wind speed of 220 kilometers per hour. During the cyclone on May 3, the people stayed in the cyclone shelter in the nearby village that saved their lives.

However, upon return to the home, they faced unimaginable hardship for sustaining their lives. In the last two months since the cyclone, they have got only 50 kg of rice and 3000 rupees (45 USD approx) and a polythene sheet. That’s all. People also have lost their crops and various sources of livelihood. One can well imagine how a family of five would survive with this minuscule support, as almost all the belongings were lost during cyclone barring some, which they would have taken with them to the cyclone shelter. Some relief from NGOs has come but they are grossly insufficient for minimum living. People are living in half stomach and with a pair of clothes.

It’s been full two months; no support has come to build their shelter nor the government has built any house for them. Each family has been given a scant polythene sheet, which the villagers said is too small for the purpose of shelter.

The people have made a makeshift arrangement to stay. Some have purchased polythene sheets or used the one by the government has given.

The family of Ms. Sita Bhoi(In Photo) has built a temporary shed using bamboo, branches of the coconut tree and wrapping it with a polythene sheet. And people like BrajaBhoi has rebuilt a mud-cum-brick house with a thatched roof is comparatively a shorter time owing to the absence of timely intervention by the government. Braja says “Its rainy days. How can we stay under a polythene sheet? There are snakes and other dangerous insects around. I need a pucca house under PradhanMantriAwasYojana (A government scheme proving pucca shelter to the poor people) as soon as possible.”

The question here is why the government has not risen to the occasion to build the houses before the onset of the monsoon. The monsoon (rainy season) in Odisha is full-blown now. What the block level authorities have done till now is to do a survey to assess the damages. And villagers complain that the authorities have marked their houses as partially damaged though they are fully damaged. The list is displayed in the Panchayat office board.

As part of sustainable development, saving the lives of people in the state during the cyclone by the Odisha government was an achievement. The state government has always got accolades from international institutions for its pre-disaster preparedness to evacuate people to safer places and thus saving lives. This time also it has got appreciation from the United Nations. The Chief Minister and his administration deserve kudos for the same.

But, what about the post-cyclone management? A pucca house should have been built by now in war footing for each family and people should have been given adequate food and clothe to cope up to the situation. If skyscrapers could be built in a month’s time in cities, then why not a small house of for the villagers in a shorter time? Why nothing has come yet to rebuild their sources of livelihood? Why daily employment under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Scheme is not being given to them now? Why has electricity not been restored? These define the apathy and insensitivity of the political system and the bureaucracy in the state. And anyway, the elections are over now and Mr. Naveen Patnaik has been re-elected for the fifth time to the office as the Chief Minister in June, so why the hurry! People will forget the government’s apathy by the time another election is in the corner!!

If this is how 17 families in the Kurujanga village has to live after the cyclone, one can well question about the efficacy of having HLPFs meetings in New York to ensure sustainable development. As my friend Ashok Dash – software professional, who accompanied me to the village, puts it “the government has given one thing to the people for sure, and that is ASSURANCE!”

And what have the ministerial declarations from the previous HLPFs given us? ASSURANCES!!

Author is a senior journalist. E mail id: 2006pradeep@gmail.com

The piece was carried in Countercurrents.org on June 15, 2019

https://countercurrents.org/2019/06/negligence-of-the-elderly-in-an-exploitative-economic-system

Negligence of the elderly in an exploitative economic system

 By Pradeep Baisakh — June 15, 2019

The study done by HelpAge India titled, “Elder Abuse in India: Role of family in caregiving – challenges and responses” brings about some glaring facts about the state of care to the elderly in our society. The study, among other things, found out that 35% of the caregivers never felt happy looking after the elderly. Caregivers here mean mainly the son, daughter-in-law, daughter and son-in-law. Such findings raise some basic questions about our responsibilities toward our aging parents.

The study was released in Bhubaneswar on 14th June where I was a speaker among other eminent personalities. Many speakers opined that the rising negligence of the elderly is due to the degeneration of the societal value system. And I agree with this. But let's analyze the deeper causes of the same.

Let's go back to the British era and draw an analogy. Dadabhai Naoroji’ drain of wealth theory discusses various means by which wealth from India was drained to Britain. Famous historian Bipin Chandra analyzed the impact of the extortive economic system then in breaking the joint family system in India.

Britishers imposed an exorbitant tax structure over the land, which made agriculture unviable. In the system, the Britishers would give a large area to big zamindars, who in turn will distribute it to small Zamindars, who will give in patches to the small farmers – the common populace. And this small farmer does the actual tilling. As Britishers took huge taxes from the land, the burden was handed down to the common farmer’s level. Inability to pay a tax led to internal dissension in the family and led to crumbling of the joint family system.

Extortive economic system

Let’s bring this analysis to the current time of changing economic order and implications on the social stricture. The earlier mixed economic system was a self-sufficient where people had less income but also lesser needs and limited ambitions. This system was supplanted by a liberal economic system driven by capitalistic greed. Earlier people would work less and had time for the family including the elderly. The family as an institution was rather intact. But the new economic order has forced consumerism on people and the cost of the economy has exponentially gone up. A 3 BHK flat in a B 2 city like Bhubaneswar costs in the range of 60 lakhs to 1.2 crore rupees. One can well imagine the cost in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Children’s education has gone up exponentially across the country.  No wonder that people’s focus now is to earn more and more to fulfill their basic requirements. Thus the new system has made people too career-centric.

A friend of mine who is top-class software professional in US narrated me his plight. “On working days, my day would start at 7 am and can continue till 1' O clock in the night.” And this is just not his story. It’s the story of any working individual now a day that is employed in the private sector. In the process, where does one get time for family and the elderly parents? And in such a high-cost economy, who has the willingness to take care of their parents, who are considered only as a burden!

But who is benefited of the system? That’s the moot question. One who works day and night to secure a dignified life only ends in struggling and struggling. The capitalist economic order nurtures, what may be termed as a Trickle Up phenomenon, where there is an upward flow of wealth. No wonder the inequality is on the rise in the country, which means the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.

Dwindling family values:

Capitalism thrives on breaking the institutions into individuals. Selfishness and self-centeredness supplant sacrifice and empathy. One can well observe this in the lives of the current generation.

In an instance, when an elderly person passed away who was in an old age home, the caretakers informed his son and urged him to come from America for the cremation. The son instead offered money to do the cremation and did not come! This is just one example. One can find many such inhuman instances of abandonment of the elderly by the son, daughter-in-law, daughter and son-in-law.

The new regime also has brought about a positive change i.e. economic empowerment of women. Middle-class women are opting to work and earn instead of becoming only a housewife and discharging their household chores. In the new order what has taken a backseat is the care of the elderly by the daughter-in-law, which is their traditional role.

Most women have to work now, not just part of their aspirations but also due to compulsion. Double hand earning is a necessity to thrive in this competitive world. With the traditional role of the women undergoing a change, the male counterpart is unwilling to share the family responsibilities, which were exclusively in women’s domain earlier. In the new family order both have lesser time for the family, but the woman’s responsibility has gone up.

With so much of compulsions and responsibilities, people have preferred to be selfish. And this is buttressed by the phenomenon of “I, Me and Myself” nurtured by capitalism and consumerism. Elderly are the first group of suffers. And wait for some more years, children will be the next group of sufferers in India as the family as a basic unit of society further disintegrates. This is already witnessed in many of the western countries.

The robust social protection mechanism is a need of the hour

Capitalism does not sustain in the absence of a well-placed welfare mechanism. The society now needs strong social protection mechanism for the elderly. Both the government and the voluntary sector have a role to play. There should be a universal pension scheme with a minimum of 2000 rupees a month for all elderly. Cities need more and more old age homes with basic amenities and healthcare. The voluntary sector can play a role in building institutions for engagement of the elderly in playful activities.

And finally, the family must play its desired role to care for the elderly, not abandon them, as old age is waiting for the current generation youths too!

The author is a senior journalist. Email id: 2006pradeep@gmail.com

Life without land, land without life

This article figured on May 31, 2019, issue of GovernanceNow.

https://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/life-without-land-land-without-life


As POSCO project has gone in limbo, acquired land remains unused, and affected people remain unemployed

Pradeep Baisakh, May 17, 2019 

                                 Betel Vineyard Photo Credit: Pradeep Baisakh 

People stare at the barren fields. They remember how green this stretch was, what a dense jungle there was, even if it is difficult for a visitor to imagine so. This land once supported its people, providing them with enough opportunity to earn from their labour. Today, the stretch lies unused, a constant reminder of all that the people have lost.

 

This is the land the Odisha government acquired in three village panchayat areas of Jagatsinghpur district for South Korean giant POSCO to build a steel plant. It was to be the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, but the proposal was aborted. In the process, people have lost their primary means of livelihood, forcing many to migrate for work.

 

Tirthankara Das of Gobindpur village says, “My three betel vine yards were dismantled and I was given a compensation of Rs 4.19 lakh in 2013. I invested some money in chit funds like Artha Tatwa and Rose Valley but I lost almost all my investment. The company people and the government had promised me unemployment allowance [till the plant comes up] and a job in the plant. Neither materialised. I am now a daily wage labourer but there is not sufficient work in the village or nearby areas. It’s difficult to feed my family and pay for my son and daughter’s education. I want to resume my betel cultivation. But the government is not allowing it.”

 

Prabir Das, of the same village, has the same story to share. Santosh Das, who had supported the plant proposal, did not have any cultivation of his own and used to earn his livelihood from daily labour in other people’s fields. “As the betel vineyards were dismantled, I lost my job. I was promised an unemployment allowance of Rs 2,250 per month, which never came.”

 

Sanjay and Litu, sons of Sukant Jena, who lost his land and betel vines, had to migrate to Tirupati where they work in a company to support their family. Sukant Jena attempted to revive betel vines in his land which the government has acquired. “The tehsildar lodged an FIR against me. They are not doing anything on the land, and yet do not allow us to cultivate.” 

 

Youths like Kalia Das and Kuna Samal from Nuagaon panchayat also have migrated to Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad where they do unskilled or semi-skilled labour and send money home. 

 

In Gobindpur, most families have faced similar hardships, as 350 families of this village lost a total of 1,200 betel vine patches in the state’s drive to acquire land. Betel, the leaf consumed as paan, is a lucrative horticulture business. In three months, 70,000 to 80,000 betel leaves are harvested in one field, each leaf selling at Rs 1.5-2. Every season, a farmer can invest Rs 40,000-50,000 and earn up to Rs 1,50,000. Over a year, the profit can be in the range of Rs 3,00,000-4,00,000. The equation served even those without land, as they had opportunity to earn enough from labour. No wonder people here prefer farming over industry.

Pramila Sahoo, wife of Late Narahari Sahoo and his mother. Photo credit: Pradeep Baisakh

 

When the land was acquired, the compensation was in the range of Rs 2,00,000 to Rs 4,50,000 – roughly a year’s income. They spent it off in household expenses or invested some in chit funds, many of which ran away with the money. The landless got mere promises. 

 

For six years now, most people are without a regular source of income. No fresh livelihood opportunities are coming up. As Bhramarbar Das, a youth leader from Gobindpur, puts it, “They destroyed our betel vines, they did not give us the monthly unemployment allowance or any job, the compensation money is all spent. How do we live?”

 

How their travails began

Pohang Steel Company, or POSCO, signed a memorandum of agreement (MoU) with the Odisha government in June 2005. The plan was to build a 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant and a captive port in a large area falling under three village panchayats, Nuagaon, Dhinkia and Gadakujang, of Jagatsinghpur district. The estimated investment was $12 billion (about Rs 52,000 crore in those days). The initial estimate of land requirement was 4,004 acres, but it was later scaled down to 2,700 acres as the proposed plant size reduced to 8 mtpa. The land required included both forest and revenue land (owned by the government, though people used it for cultivation). By 2013 the state government had acquired 2,700 acres, dismantling betel vines and cashew jungles, even as it offered compensation and promised jobs in the steel plant when it would come up. 

The project did not progress smoothly. Many people protested land acquisition, the state had to resort to use of force, leading to violence. 

 

Also, a new law, Forest Rights Act of 2006, granted certain rights to forest-dwelling people, putting one more hurdle in the land acquisition process. Another hurdle was delay in getting environmental and other clearances. POSCO decided to call it a day. Thus lands were made barren for a project that is yet to bear fruits. 

 

In September 2018 the state government announced it had decided to allot the same land to JSW Utkal Steel Ltd (JUSL). The new plan will have to negotiate the same hurdles.

 

People’s struggle 

Those who did not want to part with their land came together in 2005, under the banner of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS). The state resorted to allegedly highhanded ways, slapping about 2,500 criminal cases against protesters, and putting 500 people behind bars. Many are out on bail, others keep making rounds of courts to get bail. Protester Tapan Mandal was killed in a bomb blast in 2008, while another blast in 2013 killed Tarun Mandal, Narahari Sahoo and Manas Jena, who too were against the project.

 

Narahari Sahoo’s son had to quit his studies and start working as a daily wager to support the family. Pramila, the widow of Sahoo, says, “We are still waiting for some compensation. My daughter is 25 years old but cannot marry, as I do not have enough money.” Manas Jena’s widow Jharana depends on help from her parents. “I have no source of income. I cannot afford my son’s education. He is now living in his aunt’s home and studying there.”

                                    Betel vines in bloom , Photo Credit: Bhramarbar Das 

What people want

The land that gave them the livelihood is lying vacant, and people want to make good use of it since no plant is coming up on it anytime soon. Salila Nayak, the sarpanch of Govindpur village says people had held a palli sabha, or village meeting, in February this year and passed a resolution demanding return of land to them, and withdrawal of police cases against protesters.

 

The six years since full land acquisition have not diluted their resolve. If anything, they are surer of what they want. Manorama Khatua, a PPSS leader from Dhinkia, says, “We will not allow any industry to come up here – no matter what. We want our land back.” 

 

Prasant Barik of Nuagaon village adds, “We are very worried with the prospect of JSW starting a plant here. We have seen enough of blood and deaths. It’s unfortunate that the government does not realise its folly over last 10 years. People can give their lives, but will not allow establishing a plant here.” 

A Nuagaon villager, who does not wish to be named given the strong sentiments about this matter, prefers a practical solution. “If a new company comes up, it is better as we have given up our land and we need employment. But it is true that the villages were divided after the project was proposed. Earlier people lived in peace and amity with each other. I won’t mind if no industry comes here either. We do not want another bloody struggle in the area.” 

 

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(This article appears in the May 31, 2019 edition)

Joining The SDG Dots

The piece came in the Outlook Magazine in April 1, 2019 issue

Link: https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-joining-the-sdg-dots/301335