Covering Deprivation
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Deprivation 2021 Page 1_Layout 1 12-01-2021 10:44 Page 1 THE WORD FRIDAY JANUARY 15, 2021 CCOOVVEERRIINNGG DDEEPPRRIIVVAATTIIOONN LAB JOURNAL OF THE ASIAN COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM STORIES FROM THE NORTH Pages 2 to 7 | MISCELLANY Pages 8 and 9 | STORIES FROM THE SOUTH Pages 10 to 15 | THE LAST WORD P16 | Farmers still on the warpath J’Khand tribes Delhi continues to be surrounded by protesters from other states NITIKA GANDHI says he is protesting for his nature of the soil had changed, he say Sarna is RIMJHIM SINGH & brothers who he said could be adds. S N THYAGARAJAN “manipulated with the entry of Another contentious point, private players.” according to Shandip, is the dispute NEW DELHI/ CHANDIGARH/ Lakhsweer says the farmers resolution mechanism under the I H their religion COIMBATORE: Despite the want the government to protect the price assurance clause. “It can AMRIN NAAZ unidentified or be identified as D cold and a raging pandemic, mandated minimum support price N work only under utopian followers of the six prescribed A thousands of farmers have been and reform the agricultural produce G circumstances. The disputes will be NOAMUNDI, JHARKHAND : religions. A gathering everyday for about a marketing committees (APMC) T resolved by a bureaucrat who will The tribal communities of Banra said. “Every religion is I K month now at Singhu on Delhi’s which are meant to safeguard I understand the corporate Jharkhand have been demanding represented by their own codes N : border, to protest against the three farmers from exploitation. T representative, not the farmer.” recognition of the Sarna Code, a based on their beliefs and practices. I new farm laws. The bills, passed in The three laws are the Farmers' D Seventy-year-old Sivanesan distinct religion that aligns with Similarly, we should be recognised E the monsoon parliament session, Produce Trade and Commerce R from Erode, a bank employee- their culture and traditions. as Sarna Dharma followers.” C stoked resentment among farmers (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, O turned turmeric and paddy farmer, Budhram Chatomba (52), who In a special session on T who said the new law would favour 2020, which permits the farmers to O however, believes that the laws will belongs to the Ho tribe, said that November 11, the Jharkhand State H companies looking to edge out sell their produce outside of the P benefit the farmers in the long run. Sarna followers worship nature. Assembly, sent a resolution to the farmers. Men, women and children physical premises of the APMC Arguing that corporatisation of Their culture, tradition and ways of Centre demanding the recognition mainly from Punjab and Haryana market yards; The Farmers agriculture is necessary, he says worship are different from those of of the Sarna Code as a separate gathered with their tractors and (Empowerment and Protection) small and medium farmers, who other religions. As of now the religion for tribal communities. trucks at the Singhu Border. Agreement on Price Assurance and Farmers protesting at the Tikri border in Northern Delhi constitute a huge chunk, cannot census has recognised six religions: Salil Birua (35), a teacher who is According to Lakhweer Singh Farm Services Act, 2020, which afford storage facilities, which are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Sarna follower, said, “In 1871 we (62), a big, heavily bearded man creates a legal framework for families and 75 are involved in Somandurai Chittur village near “key” to the future of farming. Jain, and Buddhist. fell under the broad umbrella of dressed in khaki kurta and a contract farming through an agriculture. "Most of the families Pollachi. They feel the laws are “They should let the corporates do Chatomba said, “We are ‘Others’. Later, various terms like brightly orange coloured turban, agreement between a farmer and a have huge lands. As many as 90 wrong in undermining the role of it for them,” he says. identified as Hindus. Our beliefs Aboriginal, Forest Tribal, Animist, “the laws are way more favorable buyer before cultivation; and the farmers from our village have middlemen and “homogenising Silmaba Gounder, 66, a farmer are entirely different from that of Primitives and Tribes were towards the corporates and not amendment to the Essential joined the protest", he adds. agriculture across the country.” from Sankagiri, Salem, favours the other religions. There is no introduced. Then again in 1951 we legally or economically Commodities Act, which removes Diljit Pal Singh, 58, a small Paramasivam wonders how, law in parts question of accepting them.” He were counted under ‘Others’. Now empowering the farmers''. items such as cereals, pulses, farmer, says: "People of our village when different crops are . “The middlemen form a big said asking Sarna followers to we are at a point where the census Singh, who is from Punjab potato, onions and edible oilseeds agreed in the panchayat to head to “cultivated every 10 km” in India, a cartel, they should be shown their identify themselves with others was of 2021 will scrap this option too.” state’s Jalandhar district, says the from the list of essential Delhi. My brother has gone while I set of common laws can be made place.” lowering their dignity by not Birua said members of the tribal government has failed to commodities and also the stock stayed back to take care of our for the whole sector. “We have The APMC system has never recognising them as who they are. community who migrated for work understand that about 85 per cent of limits on them. crops." eight coconut harvests a year … we been effective in Tamil Nadu. “Its As per the 2011 census, more to other States were not counted as the farmers are small landholders Some of the farmers who Does he know why the farmers cannot employ a fleet of workers weakening will not impact the than 40 lakh people of Jharkhand tribals. with less than three hectares. “This oppose the law are not familiar are protesting? and pay them throughout. The farmers here. The middlemen, who mentioned their religion as Sarna Ajay Tiriya (37), Secretary of the makes these farmers weak sellers in with the provisions. "My brother has some middleman brings his team which own the private mandis, do not under the ‘others’ option. They Adivasi Association, Noamundi, front of the corporate players who “Had I known the details of the knowledge.All I know is Prime harvests the coconuts,” he explains. respect the farmers … there is have been demanding their own said, “We need our identity that have huge demands to make”. law, I would have joined the Minister Modi has passed some On contract farming, Shandip always discontent over the price [of religion code for a long time. we’ve been denied for a long time. Mahinder Bhagwa, (60), of protests,” says Kripal Singh (69), a laws which will not benefit us in says: “Our experience has been produce].” Another member of the tribal We need Sarna Code to reclaim Ludhiana, Punjab says “The farmer from Sukhgarh village, any way." bad. An MNC asked some farmers In the same breath, he points to community, Shambhu Banra (27) dignity and assert our identity.” Central Government is favouring Mohali, Chandigarh. "My son has About 3,000 km away down to cultivate cocoa a few years ago, the dangers of corporatisation. said there was an apprehension that According to a report published the private companies as they will gone to Delhi. I am not sure he south in west Tamil Nadu, there is promising a good price. Many “The corporates neither speak our the upcoming 2021 census form in The Telegraph, in August, 32 pay huge taxes to the government.” knows what the new law says but a mixed reaction. Paramasivam, 67, earned good money in the short run language nor understand our would no longer include the tribal groups of Jharkhand have Vikas Duggal (38), from he was asked to accompany the and his son Shandip Sabapathy, 34, but eventually made losses.” The troubles.Many farmers may lose ‘Others’ option. This implies that decided to boycott the upcoming Sonipat, Haryana, who is growing farmers and he readily agreed." are Chartered Accountants engaged farmers could not switch to other money if they don’t understand the they would be indirectly forced Census, if it does not recognise wheat and rice on 11 acres of land, The village has around 120 in coconut farming at the crops immediately because the fine print in the contracts.” either to leave their religion as Sarna as an option. S S E R P X E Darker times for Kolhapur’s red-light area N A I D N I Sex workers lose income, yet to receive ‘promised’ govt assistance W E N ESHAN KALYANIKAR out their friends who have no officer, Deepa Shipurkar, said, “they require you to deposit Rs sex workers in the city, used to E H T government ID, by offering their “We have prepared and given the 500 to Rs 1,000 and we can’t pay neighbours Rs 100 a day to : T I KOLHAPUR: Governments in monthly rations. list to the District Women and afford it.” take care of her two children. D E the country have come to the Some women haven’t been Child Development Office. But According to Yadav, of the Now she leaves them with her R C rescue of people who have lost able to pay even house rent and not all sex workers are registered 1,200 sex workers, 800 of them landlord, who takes care of them O T work and earnings as a result of some of them are single mothers, with us.” live in the city, and the others for free, or with Sharada Yadav, O H the pandemic.