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For debt-trapped, there’s no way out
Mussoorie, November 17 His face tells a story -- of hardship and resilience. Ramesh's father borrowed money from a landlord of his village a few years ago for which Ramesh has paid a heavy price. In lieu of the debt incurred, he had to mortgage his freedom. He is among one of the many bonded labourers in the Chakrata block of Dehradun district, who do hard labour everday to rid themselves of the debt trap, but in vain. He cannot leave his job and work elsewhere since he is under a debt of Rs 25,000 which forces him or a family member to work with the landlord till the debt is repaid. Ramesh only gets a mere Rs 25 per day as daily wages with a major part of his wages “adjusted” towards repayment of interest. "I am working as bonded labour to repay the loan taken by my father," Ramesh says. He believes that his children will have to bear the brunt of this debt as in his lifetime he may not be able to repay the loan. Like Ramesh there are hundreds of others in Dehradun's Jaunsar Bhawar working tirelessly for their masters but are unable to lighten their debt burden.These bonded labourers belong to the Kolta community which is tagged as a lower caste in the area. According to rough estimates, there are more than 1,000 bonded labourers in the area. A local politician who did not wish to be named, said: "In Kurar village alone there are more than 50 bonded labourers." These bonded labourers live in extreme penury. "I am always worried about ensuring adequate food for my family," says Bharat (name changed) whose family of five lives in a shack in a village near Lakhamandal. Officially, the bonded labour system ended in India in 1976. Between 1976 and 1993, a total of 8,693 bonded labourers from the Jaunsar Bhawar region were freed and rehabilitated. But their freedom proved shortlived and they slipped into the debt trap again. A study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suggests earlier efforts for rehabilitation of bonded labour in Jaunsar region have not been sustainable due to lack of livelihood options, absence of education programmes and the government's failure to implement land reforms. "Even after their release, the Koltas had no option but to work in the fields of landlords and borrow money for meeting domestic requirements, pushing them into the debt trap again," says Kriparam Bhatt working with a local NGO. The ILO study identifies landlessness as the biggest reason behind bonded labour. "Lack of education, absence of health support and the custom of bride price have also contributed to bonded labour in the region," says the study. Official sources say the state government had conducted a survey in 2002-03 to assess the number of bonded labour in the region, but nothing has happened since. Coen Kompier, a specialist on International Labour Standards from the ILO and a member of the working group in the ministry of labour to amend the Bonded Labour Act, is of the opinion that exploitative labour arrangements continue to prevail in many parts of
the country. "Despite proactive measures taken by the Indian government to release and rehabilitate people trapped in bondage, the practice has proved remarkably stubborn in the face of the forces of modernisation and globalisation," he says. According to A.P. Singh, associate professor at the National Institute for Administrative Research (NIAR) and an expert on land reforms: "Unless land regularisation and settlement is done, the problem of bonded labour in this region will persist." The ministry of labour and employment has recently set up a working group to amend the Bonded Labour Act in a bid to make it more effective.
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The bamboo boon
Dehradun, November 17 Known for its musk deer and monal habitats, the upper reaches of Uttarakhand, including the Nanda evi biosphere, Kedarnath forest division, and Pithoragarh are witnessing a silent revolution. The Uttarakhand Fibre and Bamboo Board has undertaken a campaign for plantation of ringal saplings in these areas. The ambitious project entails covering 730 hectares in a period of 5 years, 230 hectares eachin Nanda Devi biosphere, Kedarnath forest division the Pithoragarh forest division. Against the target of 120 hectares, a total of 135 hectares of ringal saplings have been planted this year by the board, which includes 75 hectares in Nanda Devi National Park and another 60 hectares in Kedarnath Wild Life Division. This initiative has come from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, which is funding the project. The financial assistance runs into a total of Rs 3.72 crores. Among the new additions are 250 hectares of Pithoragarh comprising Shankdhaura, Harkot, Lari Pangtee van panchayats and the Surmoli and Suring Reserve Forest areas. Ringal supports the avifauna habitat. Its plantation will benefit van panchayat areas as it provides livelihood option for villagers. While the musk deer has a great liking for ringal leaves, the villagers prefer utilising these for making furniture. The premier forestry institute and Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute’s expertise has been sought for monitoring ringal saplings to ensure that the plantation is a success. DVS Khati, chairman, Uttarakhand Bamboo Board, said even better results would follow as the project entered subsequent phases. Significantly, being a first-ever joint forest department and corporate sector initiative, this project has come up at a time when safeguarding both the musk deer and the monal has been the top priority with the state forest authorities.
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Another jumbo found dead in Corbett
Derhadun, November 17 “The elephant died after a fight with another elephant in the Savalda area of the Bijrani range last night,” Vinod Singhal, director, Corbett said. The body of the elephant was buried after postmortem. As many as eight elephants have died in Corbett this year for varied reasons. In June, an elephant was found dead died in the Jhirna range. A team of CTR officials engaged in leopard census came across the decomposed body of a tusker in the Laldhang area, his tusks intact. A female elephant had died on May 12 in the Dikala zone. This death was attributed to injuries in the elephant’s throat that prevented her from swallowing food. The body of a cub elephant was found in the Belparav range on May 7. It had died of electrocution. On April 30, a male elephant was killed in the Kalagarh range, again in a fight. On April 19, another male cub elephant was found dead in the Adnala range. The reason for the death could not be ascertained. On April 15, a female cub died in Sonwadi area when it slipped from a rock. On January 31, a male elephant died in the same area in a similar fashion. On January 24, a cub elephant was found dead in the Dhela range. The Corbett administration cited liver problem as the cause of the death. On the same day, another cub elephant was found dead in the Kosi range due to a fall. On January 10, a male elephant died after he slipped in the Adnala range of the park.
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French circus performer on a mission
Dehradun, November 17 Nicknamed Manu, it is his dream to enact Ram Lila as part of circus in France, from where he hails. “Unlike India, circus is a big movement in France, where the traditional and the contemporary (which is a new rage) co-exist side by side. I am keen to incorporate the Indian experience that I have amassed while teaching at “Nanhi Duniya”. It would be pretty interesting to enact the kidnapping and rescuing of Sita by Ram,” says Manu. That circus is a serious business in France can be gauged from the fact that Manu has already done six years of circus at a national school before turning professional. “The traditional circus still comprises acrobatic tricks, magic and jugglery, while contemporary circus is more to do with a theme; a story is woven and is portrayed along with acrobats. I was attached with Arckaos, a circus group in south France for several years,” adds Manu. His association with “Nanhi Duniya” began after he came in touch with Alok Ulfat, a renowned theatre personality and also associated with “Nanhi Duniya”. “It was Ivar Hecksher, director of Dance and Circus School of Sweden who along with Alok Ulfat devised the concept of “chapati” circus, the coming together of European circus and Ramayana. This brought me to India and we performed at a couple of schools in Dehradun. Now, I am teaching circus and whatever I know to theatre enthusiasts and children,” says Manu. From living in a van in France to taking a flight to India and then teaching circus tricks to children, Manu has enjoyed every bit of it. “The concept of citizenship is a bit confusing for me; I feel happy calling myself a world citizen. I have a house everywhere, the experience is an enriching one,” he signs off.
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Abandoned woman gets a home at Nari Niketan
Dehradun, November 17 In a bizarre case of apathy a woman in advanced stage of pregnancy was left to fend for herself, with no help in sight, though the spot where she faced the ordeal was a few steps away from the Doon Hospital and District Women’s hospital that are situated side by side. A tea-stall owner is believed to have come to rescue the woman who was later taken to the hospital where she was admitted. Overseeing the rehabilitation of the woman to Nari Niketan, Raminder Mandarwal, Protection officer said that, “There are no takers for women whose mental condition is unsound, families shun them, they are dumped in different cities others escape from Asylums, but of late there have been increasing instances where we have spotted women who may not be from Dehradun but are left to fend for themselves, we cannot ascertain the antecedents of this woman, she is not in a position to tell, earlier she had responded and told us that that her name is Vandana and Punjab figures in her incoherent conversation quite often, we will take her to Nari Niketan which will be her temporary home, while the baby will have to be taken to Bal Niketan; the mother is not in a position to look after her.” There are conflicting reports about the delivery of the girl child, while the CMS (Chief Medical Superintendent) Dr P. Dimri maintained that the delivery took place at the hospital as “the woman was brought to the hospital at 10.am today”. However, the tea stall owner said, “The child was delivered on the road on Sunday morning, and the hospital authorities allegedly took the case on Monday morning, informed a tea stall owner. In yet another twist, Kamla Kukreti, president of City Unit Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), and Savita Aggarwal, maintained that they had send the pregnant woman to Dehradun on Sunday night, “We sent her with two men to Dehradun as she was denied admittance at the Doiwala Government
Hospital and needed immediate attention since her condition was serious. But they had no answers to why the
men who were entrusted with task of taking the woman to the Hospital left her on the roadside.
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Letter
It is heartening to read that the Governor of Uttarakhand spoke against corporal punishment at a school function. Hope the teachers were listening.
Hitting a child is almost always conter-productive. It seldom yields the desired result. In fact, fear of the rod may paralyse the thinking abilities of the child. It can cripple him psychologically. Sadly, in our country beating by teachers is common. Very often, parents too do not object to it, this despite the fact that corporal punishment is banned by law. Unless, society forms a consensus on this issue that it will not allow its children to be ill-treated or mistreated, there is little that can be achieved by way of law. Intimidation is the easiest way to control children in class. The teachers should find other ways to tackle their pupils. We have just celebrated Children’s Day but symbolism alone will not do. We must learn to respect our children and their rights Sunny
Garewal, Dehradun
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Since ages he has been looking for two square meals a day, bare minimum clothing and shelter. 