Table of Contents an Area Study Report on Kashtakari Sanghatna and Its Links and Activities
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Table of Contents An area study report on Kashtakari Sanghatna and its links and activities...............................................2 A BRIEF PROFILE OF THE AREA:...................................................................................................2 A Brief History of formation of Kashtakari Sanghatana:.....................................................................2 Aims and Objectives of the organisation..............................................................................................3 Organisational Structure........................................................................................................................3 Activities of the organisation................................................................................................................3 Militant Approach:................................................................................................................................4 Origin of Communist movement in the area.........................................................................................4 Friction and clashes between Kashtakari Sanghatana and CPM...........................................................4 Split in the leadership...........................................................................................................................5 Liberation Theology..............................................................................................................................5 Paulo Friere...........................................................................................................................................6 Anti-Hindu activism of Pradip Prabhu..................................................................................................6 Pradip Prabhu's links with Shramik Sanghatana and Bhoomi Sena:.....................................................7 Alliance with Lal Nishan Party:............................................................................................................8 Kashtakari Sanghatana's Links with CEHAT.......................................................................................8 Prabhu's links with OXFAM.................................................................................................................8 Prabhu's links Adivasi Gotra Mahasabha in Kerala.............................................................................8 Links with Fr. Thomas Kocheri:...........................................................................................................9 Prabhu's Links with Xavier Dias:..........................................................................................................9 Pradip Prabhu's links with other social, christian action and human rights groups in the country..........10 Sanghatan's Links with Left Extremist Organisations........................................................................11 Prabhu's Clout among the top bureaucrats and judges:.......................................................................11 Academic Assignments.......................................................................................................................12 Training & Consultancy Assignment..................................................................................................12 Government Assignments...................................................................................................................13 An Area Study Report on Kashtakari Sanghatna, its activities and links The second Vatican Council held from 1962 to 1965 had taken a decision approving a proposal by a strong lobby of Latin American Church activists to allow the Christian missionaries all over the world to work among the poor and marginalised sections of people and to organise and empower them to fight against their dehumanising conditions. The Christian action movement that emerged in Latin American countries following this Vatican II decision led to the formation of Liberation Theology movement by a Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez in 1968. This Christian action group movement soon spread to African and Asian countries also and some such groups started coming up in India also since early 1970s. The Kashtakari Sanghatana founded by Peter D'Mello and two of his associates namely Nicholas Cordazo @ Nicky Bhau and Sushila D'Souza in the tribal belt of Dahanu region in district Thane, Maharashtra is also one such group inspired by Liberation Theology. A Brief profile of the area The tribal belt of Thane district comprises mainly of Dahanu, Talasari, Jawahar, Mokhada, Vikramgad, Wada, Palghar, Shahapur and Murbad talukas. The Warlis are the dominent tribal group who constitue about 60% of the tribal population in the area. Other tribal groups present in the area include Katkaris, Konkanas, Mahadeo Kolis, Vanjaris, Dhodis and Dubalis. The terrain is mostly plain with vast forest areas in the interior region. Jawahar is located at an altitude of 1670'. The Adivasis in the region are mostly poor and illiterate. Agriculture is their main occupation. The towns are connected by roads with regular state transport bus service. However, in the interior areas the communication system still remains poor. The Kashtakari Sanghatana has got substantial influence in Dahanu, Talasari and Jawahar talukas and marginal influence in Mokhada and Vikramgad talukas. A Brief History of formation of Kashtakari Sanghatana: Through the Kashtakari Sanghatana was founded in only 1978, the ground work for founding this organisation was started in 1976 when Peter D'Mello , a Jesuit priest, came to work under Talasari Mission,Thane,with the specific objective of building up a people's movement in the area by organising the local landless tribals and other forest dwellers to fight for their various demands and rights. In early 1976 he organised a ten-day youth festival of tribal youths at Ashagad in Dahanu taluka with the objective of making them concious of their rights and responsibilities and prepare them for organising struggles against their exploitation. A few more youth festivals (16 in all) were conducted soon in the area primarily to prepare the local tribal youths for their new role as tribal militants and also to build up a cadre base for the proposed new organisation. The Kashtakari Sanghatana was formally launched on 23d,December,1978 with its headquarters at Siesne village in Dahanu taluka, District Thane. The meeting on 23-12-1978 also took the following decisions to define the basic character of the Kashtakari Sanghatana. 1. The organisation will be a left-democratic non-party formation of tribals and marginal peasants. 2. It would be a struggle-based organisation with a closed-fist holding the scales of justice as its symbol 3. The Sanghatana would endeavour to integrate its own struggles with the struggles of other urban and rural toilers Peter D'Mello adopted the Hindu name Pradip Prabhu in 1978 and both Prabhu and Nicky left the mission establishment in 1979. Aims and Objectives of the organisation 1. To work among the Adivasis in the tribal belt of Thane district and involve themselves in the process of their articulation, assertion and autonomy. 2. To get involved in facilitating poverty alleviation programmes and enhancing participatory development. 3. To fight for the rights of Adivasis, especially the land ownership rights of forest dwellers and their rights over minor forest produce and engendering greater political and economic autonomy of the village in administering its own affairs. 4. To promote literacy and adult education on the lines advocated by Paulo Faire, a revolutionary educationalist of Brazil 5. To empower the Adivasis to fight for their rights and demands and to pave the way for their political mobilisation to confront the established power structures and strengthening community structures of decision making to resist imposition of development plans. 6. To fight against all kinds of exploitation of tribals by rich land-lords, money-lenders and businessmen in the area. 7. To organise the Adivasis to fight against their harassment by corrupt police and forest officials and creation of mechanisms of resistance to abuse of power by the local government officials. 8. To fight for the implementation of payment of minimum wages as per the minimum wages act. 9. To promote healthcare, hygiene, etc. Organisational Structure The organisation does not have designated leaders and they are simply called leaders or organisers.. Presently Brian Lobo and Mrs. Shiraz Balsara w/o Pradip Prabhu manage the affairs of the Sanghatana. The sanghatana has a three-tier system of village Committees, Area Committees and the Council of representatives. The organisation collects Rs.50 per family as annual subscription from its members. Activities of the organisation The Kashtakari Sanghatana which started its activities in the area from 1978 projected itself as a leftist organisation which wanted to protect the local Adivasis from exploitation and harassment by rich landlords, money-lenders and government officials and ensure a dignified life to the Adivasis. The Sanghatana leaders soon started a campaign among the local Adivasis advocating the need for their unity in building up a resistance movement against their exploitation by rich landlords, money-lenders and govt. officials. They also educated the Adivasis about their traditional rights over the forest land and minor forest produce and the illegality of their eviction from