Issues in Resource Conflicts in Eastern India
Issues in
Resource Conflicts in Eastern India
Property right is an institution in the overall structure
of the society and economy. It is an important class of institutional
arrangements and defines the use which are legitimately viewed
as exclusive, and who have these exclusive rights over the
resources. There are four basic categories of property rights,
viz, (i) open access, (ii) common property resources, (iii)
private property, and (iv) state property.
Access to resources comes under these types of rights. Access
to resources is often contested at many levels simultaneously.
Sometimes, there are attempts of people to secure rights to
natural resources by having their access claims recognized
as legitimate property. Struggle over resources are as much
about the scope and constitution of authority as about access
to resources.
Property is legitimized claims that the authority sanctions
them. Access by contrast is broader and includes property.
Various stakeholders gain and maintain access to resources
in many ways that do not amount to property. Stakeholders
may derive benefits from resources without holding property
rights to them. There are many ways by which stake holders
enjoy access to resources.
Just as many people struggle to turn access claims into legitimate
property, many are stripped of property rights to their possession
when the institutions that guaranteed them are weakened or
take away that right.
The access and property rights of the poor people has been
weakened and stripped of, at a higher rate in the era of liberalization
and privatization, particularly in the mineral rich states
of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattishgargh in the Eastern India.
The process of liberalization and privatization since 1991
open up to the private sector (including multinationals),
core sector like power, steel and mines, etc which they were
not allowed earlier. It was under the control of the state
sector. In view of this, there is competition among the private
sector actors including multinationals in the post-liberalization
era to exploit the rich natural resources including minerals
to install processing and semi-processing industries particularly
in eastern India (viz., Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh).
This, in turn, leads to:
destruction of forest (under which rich mineral resources
are lying) and the eco-system on which a large number of people
including tribal depend for their livelihood through collection
of non-timber forest produces.
Displacement of people from their home and land
Occupational displacement of people (fishers, primary collectors
of NTFP, and others) who had access to water-bodies, forest
and other CPRs for their livelihood.
These trends, in turn, leads to protest, sometimes violent,
by affected people who are deprived of their property right
over their land and of access to common property resources.
The potential displaced persons, through their various organizations
and associations are fighting for their rights and against
the violation of human rights of marginalized sections like
dalit, tribal, women, etc. One has to explore the impact of
such protest movement on the overall politics and economy
of the region and to analyse the R & R Policies of the
GoI and these three state
Thus, there are conflicts over the resources between different
players and stakeholders.This happens in water-bodies like
Chilika between fishers and non-fishers, in forested and mining
areas of Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh and Orissa between forest
dwellers including tribal and state over their access to minor
forest produces, rivers and streams , between tribal and non-tribal
for land alineation of the former, between farmers and industrial
interests over the use of water from dam (as conflict between
the interest of farmers and industries over the use of dammed
water in Hirakud dam), rivers ( as in Chattishgarh) and others.
The common issue in three states is land displacement due
to mining and industrial activities particularly mineral processing
industries. In Orissa, the issue on water bodies and CPR is
peculiar in case of shrimp farming.
Thus there are conflicts between different players over the
use of natural resources like land, water and forest in Orissa,
Jharkhand and Chhatishgarh. The intensity and numbers of conflicts
in the post-liberalization era has increased in this part
of India.
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