Many years ago a dam was built in Jobat tehsil of Jhabua district and the Bhil adivasis residing there were displaced with a pittance offered in compensation. After paying off their debts a few of these families migrated to Indore and became bonded labourers of a big farmer on its outskirts. After many years as bonded labourers they settled down on government land on the boundary of the village bordering the land of the government agricultural research station and became free labourers. They began working as daily wagers on the government farm. Later the government farm land was handed over to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for the setting up of a National Research Center for Soyabean which had been introduced into the Malwa region in a big way as part of the larger designs of American food imperialists of outsourcing the production of this obnoxious feed for their beef cattle. These Bhil labourers then got a better deal as casual workers of the new research centre as compared to the earlier agricultural farm and became a little more comfortable.
However, by this time the city of Indore had expanded to engulf their area also and so land sharks began eyeing the land on which the Bhils were residing. They came with their goons and tried to displace the Bhils. The Bhils fought back with bows and arrows and in the end the land sharks were held at bay. In this battle they were befriended by some trade unionists and they then learnt the advantages of having political contacts. Thereafter they began cultivating these political contacts so as to ensure their continued stay on the land they had occupied.
Now there are as many as four NGOs that have adopted their slum and have spent a lot of money in improving, roads, water supply and sanitation. Even after all these years far removed as they are from the sylvan setting of their original villages they still celebrate divasa. They have no crops of their own so they propitiate the soyabean crop in the research centre! False Gods will never go away.
No comments:
Post a Comment