Impact of Resettlement on Scheduled Tribes in Kerala: A study on Aralam Farm A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Sociology by Deepa Sebastian (Reg. No.1434502) Under the Guidance of Sudhansubala Sahu Assistant Professor Department of Sociology CHRIST UNIVERSITY BENGALURU, INDIA December 2016 APPROVAL OF DISSERTATION Dissertation entitled ‘Impact of Resettlement on Scheduled Tribes in Kerala: A Study on Aralam Farm’ b y Deepa Sebastian Reg. No. 1434502 is approved for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Sociology. Examiners: 1. 2. Supervisor: ___________________ ___________________ Chairman: ___________________ ___________________ Date: Place: Bengaluru ii DECLARATION I Deepa Sebastian hereby declare that the dissertation, titled ‘Impact of Resettlement on Scheduled Tribes in Kerala: A Study on Aralam Farm’ is a record of original research work undertaken by me for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Sociology. I have completed this study under the supervision of Dr Sudhansubala Sahu, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology. I also declare that this dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose. I hereby confirm the originality of the work and that there is no plagiarism in any part of the dissertation. Place: Bengaluru Date: Deepa Sebastian Reg. No.1434502 Department of Sociology Christ University, Bengaluru iii CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the dissertation submitted by Deepa Sebastian (1434502 ) titl ed ‘Impact of Resettlement on Scheduled Tribes in Kerala: A Study on Aralam Farm’ is a record of research work done by her during the academic year 2014-2016 under my supervision in partial fulfillment for the award of Master of Philosophy in Sociology. This dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose. I hereby confirm the originality of the work and that there is no plagiarism in any part of the dissertation. Place: Bengaluru Date: Dr Sudhansubala Sahu Assistant Professor Department of Sociology Christ University, Bengaluru Dr Victor Paul Head, Department of Sociology Christ University, Bengaluru iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is a pleasure to thank all those who have made this dissertation possible. I take this opportunity to express my deepest sense of gratitude towards my guide Dr Sudhansubala Sahu Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Christ University, for her constant support and encouragement. She always manages to instil courage and confidence in me. Her knowledge and insight inspired me to take up all the challenges in conducting this research. I would like to thank, Dr Victor Paul Head of the Department of Sociology, Dr Pritha Dasgupta the former Head of the Department of Sociology, Dr Maya Mohan, MPhil coordinator of the Department of Sociology, and all other faculty members of the department of Sociology, Christ University for their constant support and encouragement during the course work and progress presentations. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Vice Chancellor of the Christ University, Dr. (Fr.) Thomas C. Mathew, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr (Fr.) Abraham V, Christ University and Center for Research, Christ University for having given me this opportunity to pursue my research in this esteemed institution. A special thanks to all the participants of my research, who took out time from their busy schedule to be part of my study. I am also grateful to Mr Kunjikannan, Mr Velukkan and their families, who helped me to get into the people and I am grateful to the teachers, doctors and government officers who were working in the Farm and all those who helped me to interact with the tribal families for gathering the information. I am also extremely grateful to my family and friends. They are my pillar of strength, blessing and perseverance. My dissertation would not have been possible without their kind advice and support. Deepa Sebastian v ABSTRACT The continuous struggle of the tribal communities forced the Kerala Government to distribute the alternative land for all landless tribal families in the State. The State Government has offered Aralam Farm for all the landless tribal families from Wayanad and Kannur districts of Kerala. Along with the land, the government also promised various facilities for all the resettling tribal families in the Farm. According to the official records from 2007-2015, approximately 3502 landless tribal families got their Possession Certificates for one-acre land in the Farm. According to the various sources, it was found that the majority of the relocated tribal families left the Farm and those who settled in the Farm face various issues. It was also noticed, the government and the public were least bothered about the resettlers. In this scenario, the researcher takes an initiative to understand the impact of resettlement on landless tribal families in the Aralam Farm. The descriptive study was conducted among 150 resettled households from different blocks in the Farm. Interview method and participant observation were used for the data collection. The researcher had used the structured interview schedule, checklist and field notes for the data collection. The study looked at various objectives like implementations and the availability of the various facilities, socio- cultural changes, various resettlement problems and the outcome of the resettlement of the tribal families in the Aralam Farm. The study reveals that Government authorities tried to implement various facilities for the resettlers. The study found that most of the permanent resettlers have a house, latrine facilities, and electricity. They also enjoy the food security, educational institutions and health care services. In spite of all the available facilities, more than half of the tribal families left the Aralam Farm. The study has spotlighted the various issues that force the tribal families to leave their dreamland. The results of the study demonstrate that the resettlers face various problems like wild animal attacks, discrimination, lack of transporting facilities and unavailability of the space for their cultural and religious activities. The findings prove that the resettlement of the landless Scheduled Tribal families in the Aralam Farm has both positive and negative impacts. Keywords: Resettlement, Scheduled Tribe, Aralam Farm vi CONTENTS APPROVAL OF DISSERTATION ........................................................................................... ii DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... iii CERTIFICATE .......................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. vi CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. vii LISTS OF FIGURES, GRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ........................................................ x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER I-INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Genesis of the problem ..................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Need for the study ............................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................ 7 1.4 Chapter Scheme ................................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER II-REVIEW OF LITERATURE .............................................................................. 9 2.1 Defining Scheduled Tribes ............................................................................................. 10 2.2 Identification and classifications of the Scheduled Tribes in India and Kerala ............. 11 2.3 Problems and issues of the tribal communities .............................................................. 13 2.4 Development induced displacement and resettlement issues ......................................... 16 2.5 Displacement and Resettlement Risks ............................................................................ 19 2.6 Tribal development programs by the government .......................................................... 21 2.7 Tribal movements and land struggles ............................................................................. 24 2.8 Resettlement issues in Aralam Farm .............................................................................. 28 CHAPTER III-RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................... 31 3.1 Statement of the problem ...............................................................................................