Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Challenges NORTH EAST INDIA 2015 SHED NO MORE BLOOD: North East India Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Challenges Copyright ©Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact August 2015 All rights reserved. Contributing writers: Charlotte Hinterberger, Dolly Kikon, Bernice See, Gina Shangkham, Jade Tessier and Ningreichon Tungshang Editor: Luz Barca Maranan Publisher: Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) Foundation 108 Moo 5 Tambon Sanpranate, Amphur Sansai Chiang Mai 50210 Thailand Tel: 66533380168 Fax: 66533380752 Web: www.aippnet.org www.iphrdefenders.net www.ccmin.aippnet.org www.iva.aippnet.org ISBN: to be supplied by the printing press Printer: AIPP Printing Press 32, Moo 2, Tambon Sanpranate Amphur Sansai, Chiang Mai 50210 Thailand Email: [email protected] Website: www.aippprinting.com This document has been produced with financial assistance from the European Union’s European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the European Union [EU] or any of its affiliated institutions. The sharing of this report with external audience is aimed at sharing general information and recommendations and does not constitute an endorsement by the EU or its institutions. The text and data in this report may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with attribution to the copyright holder. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. Contents Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................. 01 Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 02 2. NATIONAL AND LEGAL POLICY FRAMEWORK RELATING TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN NORTHEAST INDIA: THEORY AND REALITY 2.1 Status of indigenous peoples in the Constitution of India...................................................... 04 2.1.1 Special Provisions in the Constitution..................................................................................... 05 2.1.2 The Sixth Schedule....................................................................................................................... 06 2.2 Indigenous peoples and State laws............................................................................................... 08 2.3 Indigenous peoples and Local Governance............................................................................... 09 2.4 Important New Laws of Major Significance to the Lives of Indigenous Peoples.............. 10 2.4.1 The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006........................................................................................................................ 10 2.4.2 The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013....................................................................................... 13 2.5 International Instruments and India......................................................................................... 15 3. MAIN HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES FACED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 3.1 Militarization.................................................................................................................................. 17 3.2 National security law..................................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Aggressive development policies on indigenous peoples’ territories.................................. 20 3.3.1 Construction of dams................................................................................................................ 22 3.3.2 Oil Exploration........................................................................................................................... 23 3.3.3 Mining.......................................................................................................................................... 24 3.3.4 The Nagaland Special Development Zones project............................................................. 24 3.4 Trafficking........................................................................................................................................ 25 3.4.1 General facts................................................................................................................................. 25 3.4.2 Government action..................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.3 Specific cases................................................................................................................................ 28 3.5 Inter-ethnic conflicts..................................................................................................................... 29 3.3.4 The Nagaland Special Development Zones project.......................................................... 23 4. INDIGENOUS WOMEN 4.1 Gender equality.............................................................................................................................. 30 4.2 Women’s political representation............................................................................................... 31 4.3 Violence against women (VAW)................................................................................................. 33 5. CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 34 6. PEOPLES’ RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................... 35 Notes ................................................................................................................................................. 36 LIST OF TABLES Total population of STs and proportion of STs in the Northeastern States to the total Table 1 state and national population Table 2 State-wise Number of Scheduled Tribes in the Northeast Table 3 Legal and Administrative Structures Table 4 Forests in the Northeast Table 5 International Instruments Ratified by India Extent and Proportion of Common Land/Forest Diverted and Private Land Table 6 Acquired except Arunachal Pradesh Social groups of Displaced Persons/Project Affected Persons except Arunachal Table 7 Pradesh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to first acknowledge the unnamed many rights activists who have stood up ceaselessly against those forces which have tried to further annihilate, marginalize and suppress the rights of Indigenous Peoples, to undermine their inherent relationship with and take away their land, forest and water all through known history. We also acknowledge those affected by rights violation who have allowed us to interview or access their problems by way of documentation and monitoring. The journey in making this report has been the most challenged when it comes to putting together contesting narratives, analysis and views. The journey took more than two years. Despite the difficult journey, we owe it to the people of North East India to publish this in order to provide a glimpse of their situation from their own perspectives. Many contributors have made this publication possible including Charlotte Hinterberger who gave structure of the document, to Dolly Kikon, Ningreichon Tungshang, and Gina Shangkham for fleshing out the content, for Neingulo Krome for his insight and recommendations, and for Jade Tessier for her diligent and painstaking research efforts, her patience in following-up commitments, and her unselfish dedication to see this come to print. We would like to express our gratitude to the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) of Chiang Mai University for their support to AIPP by allowing Ms. Tessier to work on this publication. We also thank the indigenous peoples human rights defenders who freely gave their comments. This publication is only part of the past and on-going efforts to publicise the complex situation in North East India. The journey this publication has gone through is a reflection of that complexity and may the indigenous peoples human rights defenders from North East India continue to provide their perspectives on their situation. 1 1. INTRODUCTION With over 80 million people, India has the largest indigenous population in the world. About 15 per cent of the country’s land area is inhabited by indigenous communities, consisting of 702 tribes1 that are spread across 31 states and union territories, mainly in the central belt and northeast of India, most of whom identify themselves as indigenous peoples. Therefore, the term tribal and indigenous are used synonymously. Table 1: Total population of STs and proportion of STs in the Northeastern states to the total state and national population % OF STS IN THE % OF STS IN THE NAME OF THE S. NO. TOTAL POPULATION ST POPULATION STATE TO TOTAL STATE TO TOTAL ST STATE/UT STATE POPULATION POPULATION IN INDIA India 1210569573 104281034 8.61 -- Arunachal 1 1383727 951821 68.78 0.91 Pradesh 2 Assam 31205576 3884371 12.44 3.72 3 Manipur 2570390 902740 35.12 0.86 4 Meghalaya 2966889 2555861 86.14 2.45 5 Mizoram 1097206 1036115 94.43 0.99 6 Nagaland 1978502 1710973 86.47 1.64 7 Sikkim 610577 206360 33.79 0.19 8 Tripura 3673917 1166813 31.75 1.11 Table 2: State-wise Number of Scheduled Source: Census of India, 2011