Naya Savera Vol- 1 - Jharkhand AICUF

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-Preface- Johar After 25 years of struggle, we succeeded in securing the place for ourselves in UN in the form of The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which is a non-legally-binding resolution passed by the United Nations, General Assembly in 2007. It delineates and sets minimum standards to denes collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including their ownership rights to cultural and ceremonial expression, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues. It "emphasizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions, and to pursue their development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations". It "prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples", and it "promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them and their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions of economic and social development". According to Article 31, there is a major emphasis that the indigenous peoples will be able to protect their cultural heritage and other aspects of their culture and tradition in order to preserve their heritage from over- controlling nation-states. .UNDRIP codies "Indigenous historical grievances, contemporary challenges and socio-economic, political and cultural aspirations" and is the "culmination of generations-long efforts by Indigenous organizations to get international attention, to secure recognition for their aspirations, and to generate support for their political agendas. Due to the past and ongoing violence and abuse of Indigenous individuals and peoples, the UN created this non-legally binding declaration as an aspiration for how Indigenous individuals and peoples should be treated. References from UNDRIP:- Rights of indigenous individuals and people to protect their culture through practices, languages, education, media, and religion (Articles 9 - 15, 16, 25, and 31) Asserts the indigenous peoples’ right to own type of governance and to economic development (Articles 17 - 21, 35 -37) Health rights (Article 23 -24) Protection of subgroups ex. elderly, women, and children (Article 22) Land rights from ownership (including reparation, or return of land i.e. Article 10) to environmental issues (Articles 26 -30, and 32) Dictates how this document should be understood in future reference (Articles 38 - 46). Therefore , this indigenous day 2020 we stand as one voice demanding for the rights given to us through UNDRIP to which nations agreed mutually. We are not asking for any new rights but we want the proper grant and implementation of rights to restore our culture and identity. We will ght together for our rights, for our future. Jai Adiwasi -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Greetings From - Fr. S. Emmanuel SJ. - Jenny Toppo National Adviser of AICUF Full-timer, Jharkhand AICUF Our forefathers cleared the forest and Happy Indigenous Day to all the settled agricultural lands so their AYCM members. Special greetings to children don’t die out of hunger. They activists of tribal movements. created a society of togetherness with --------------------------------------------- healthy environment and handed over - it to us. Because of that heritage we have our identity. Yes the present generation is suffering and the struggle is hard but it is the calling for youths to face every challenge with strong intent. We have to protect our ancestral legacy for coming generations to inherit. Aim and willingness will give new energy to stand our voices out. Cultural values with non-violence are our shield while education is our axe. We have to keep going until the justice is done! Jai Adiwasi! and cosmovision of indigenous peoples. This is the wisdom that propounds that all life on earth is spirited and therefore sacred. All matters that constitute the earth, while material, are embodiment of and enlivened by the Spirit. Matters are therefore spiritual. Hence Mother Earth is enspirited and sacred. This sacred wisdom on the spirit of resilience and regeneration has made possible the sacred sustainability of our common home. The spirit of resilience and regeneration come from the living and enchanted worlds of indigenous Peoples. More speci ically, indigenous resilience and regeneration comes from the accompaniment of the other-than-human beings which Querida Amazon refers to as "various beings" (QA 42). These beings Fr. Jojo M Fung are known as the Creator or Grandfather, International Chaplain of the spirits, deities, demons, and the gods/goddesses. Every aspect of the IMCS world is alive with spirits and communicates to each other. World Indigenous Peoples’ Day August 9, 2020. Unfortunately, modernity has INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: SPIRIT intentionally relinquished these OF RESILIENCE & spiritualities to the realm of culture and REGENERATION systemically erased these beliefs as superstitious world of spirits and shamans. But the pandemic has alerted The pandemic is a portal for our world to the world to re-value the subversive pass through. This is the portal that our beliefs in indigenous spiritualities. world journey through with the 476 Our Christian faith needs to revalue the million Indigenous Peoples worldwide, located in over 90 countries, who make spirit world too. Scripture informs us that up over 6 percent of the global population God is Spirit (John 4:24), God’s Spirit is with the spirit of regeneration and everywhere as God is everywhere in resilience. creation, in the universe and our planet earth. That is why John Gospel 3:8 states, The spirit of resilience is integral to the “The Spirit blows where God is”, in other religiocultural wisdom of indigenous words, everywhere. So God’s Spirit is with peoples. This perennial wisdom is the ancestors, is present in the animals, the forests, the humans, the insects, the embedded in the subversive spiritualities land, the plant and the water. The spirit of 1 the tiger, of the tree, of the river is the localized presence of God’s Spirit and Resilience and regeneration is borne of these localized spirits participate in the the interconnected relation between power of God’s Spirit. The presence of indigenous women and God’s Spirit in the local spirits in the pachamama/Mother Earth, the soil, natural world makes everyone and fertility, waters, and life. In the Andean everything around us sacred and divine. world, the chacra/cultivated ield is So the world of indigenous people, revered as a sacred place, with an according the Pope Francis in Querida intimate connection to women. This bond Amazonia, is “charged with spiritual is ritualized during the festive ritual of meaning” and “can be used to advantage Ispallas. Only fertile women enter the and not always considered a pagan chacra without endangering the chacra’s error.”1 generative power. Akin to the root crops, all women are acknowledged as Ispalla More speci ically, resilience comes from during the festivity. Women during the bio-religiocultural regeneration of the pregnancy is likened to T’alla which is pacha in the Andean indigenous pachamama who is pregnant from around communities. In this cosmos, humans are January to March. Women can enter the mere members of an earthly space called storage place, the phina, where the pacha. Pacha is but one particular harvest is kept. Women plant the seeds. location in the cosmos. All human beings, Men are the grains/mucho, on the stalks non-human entities - the rocks, the of the plants, above the soil/the earth. waters, the sun, the moon, and the stars, They are forbidden to touch the phina. as well as the plants, the animals and the humans and other-than-human beings - The luidity between the pacha and deities and spirits, are members of a humans ensures the resilience that also single interconnected community. makes possible the bio-religiocultural Communication among these inhabitants regeneration of the indigenous Andean of the pacha takes place through a world, the women and pachamama. In multiplicity of signs. Caring and ritual performances, the potentials in a nurturing, being nurtured and cared for person, who is a part of the pacha, with by each other is crucial for Buen the animals, plants and humans, become vivir/living well, a life in harmony in the actualized. A person becomes a plant, a cosmos.2 seed, an animal, a mountain, constellations, and a woman, a man and 1 Pope Francis, „Post-Synodal Exhortation Querida vice versa. The ritual enactment affects Amazoniato the People of God and All Persons of everything and everyone in the pacha, the Goodwill,‟ sachamama (mother forest) and the http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_ex pachamama and the cosmos and vice hortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione- ap_20200202_querida-amazonia.html, accessed versa. February 6, 2020. 2 Pramod Parajuli, “Subversive Spiritualities: Indeed, ritual celebrations are primal How Rituals Enact the World, by Frederique sources of indigenous resilience and Apffel-Marglin (Oxford University Press, 2011)— A Review Essay,” accessed May 20, 2020, http://www.susted.com/wordpress/content/subversive frederique-apffel-marglin-oxford-university-press- -spiritualities-how-rituals-enact-the-world-by- 2011-a-review-essay_2012_03/ 2 regeneration. The power of rituals countervail the goons and militia they becomes ef icacious at the intersection of deployed. Plural indigenous communities nature, spirit world and the humans. have mass-protested when the Rituals make the earth, all lives and all sacredness of ancestral homeland has matters sacred. In fact, rituals enable the been violated, their leaders arrested and divine to enact the world, nature to enact detained, their voices muted, their lives all humans and all lives and vice versa. In wasted, their dignity and rights as the this interdependent interconnected generation today and tomorrow, relations, the humans approach the spirit trampled. world with creaturely humility. In humility, the humans seek permission Ritual celebrations, with the offerings, and forgiveness from the spirit world sacred chants, dances and songs, express through ritual performance. After that, communal gratitude to pachamama, the they yoke the buffaloes for ploughing, Creator, the ancestral and nature spirits. prepare the dye, the seeds, and the soil, Gratitude for the cosmic harmony, the and they sow, harvest, store and engage buen vivir/ living well, made possible by in the different seasonal agro-activities. an intimate balance in the sacred web of The Karen ritual, “Kroh Yee” (village life. It is an equilibrium between human closure), performed to ward off Covid-19, world, plant world, animal world, spirit demonstrates this reciprocal enactment world and cosmic world. There is cosmic by which the Creator, ancestors, and the balance because the needs of the deities, nature spirits protects the humans as the non-human worlds, and the livelihood humans protect the natural world in needs, dignity and rights one of the most which the Karen village communities are economically impoverished and located.3 politically violated people are duly met. Ritual celebrations, with chanting and drumming, with communication with the Ultimately, this ritualized cosmic Creator, the ancestors and nature spirits, harmony generates the spirit of resilience have been generating energy for the from the subversive indigenous indigenous communities. The generative spiritualities. The ritual celebration of power sustains the spirit of resilience. cosmic harmony generates the life-giving The spirit of resilience emboldens power. This spirit power makes possible indigenous communities around the the bio-religiocultural regeneration and world to resist the extractive industries, sacred sustainability of our indigenous communities in the post pandemic world. 3 “Kroh Yee” is a ritual that was used seventy years ago among the highland Karen communities during This world across the portal offers those the cholera outbreak. Local knowledge holders with eyes to see, a glimpse of a New Earth believe that there would be enough food for annual consumption during the pandemic lockdown after with a New Heaven that signi ies the the ritual blockage of the villages, but the town‟s inbreaking of the New Creation in our people may run away to the forest for their survival. space and time, today and tomorrow. See “Karen people revived their ancient ritual, “Kroh Yee” (village closure) to fight against Covid -19,” accessed May 20, 2020, https://imnvoices.com/karen- people-revived-their-ancient-ritual-kroh-yee-village- closure-to-fight-against-covid-19/ 3 4 5 individualism that is reected in current economic and political models, indigenous communities are, in themselves, a place of learning solidarity, respect for nature, the protection of what denes natural life on earth and self-determination which is a universally enshrined right. The status and the lifestyle dening the indigenous community, universally recognized as specic, are also imposed as a collective right. In this sense, I encourage all initiatives that support the ght for justice and dignity as well as the rights of all human beings without distinction of their culture and their beliefs, etc. I join my hands with those of AICUF Jharkhand members in claiming the rights of their community and celebrate with them the efforts, productive or not, that express the determination for the survival and resilience of Indigenous communities. Happy celebration to all - Edouard Karoue ---------------------------------------------- Former President, IMCS Dear friends, on the occasion of the International days of World’s Indigenous Peoples, I join with joy in this commemoration which reminds us all, of a form of existence which reects the intrinsic nature of human who is called to be in close connection with his environment and more broadly his living environment. Therefore, the day of 9th August not only reminds us of a community. It also reminds us of identity and a lifestyle that transcends territorial and political units while inviting us to elevate ourselves, as much as possible, to serve as a tool for what Pope Francis has called integral ecology. - Tomson Sabungan Silalahi At this time when we face various PMKRI, Indonesia challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation as well The world should be grateful for as the conicts sown by the indigenous peoples around the world; 6 they are people who consistently this day, and throughout National protect the environment. Be thankful Indigenous History, we recognize the that we still have oxygen that we important contributions indigenous breathe, before one day (hopefully not) people have made and continue to we will carry each oxygen cylinder to make our country. Thank you for each survive. family and each community. Thank you for our leaders in each community ---------------------------------------------- who guide us and support us especially during these challenging days. Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! ---------------------------------------------- - Sangla Don Bosco Unit (AICUF) MANIPUR. Happy indigenous peoples day. The international day of the world’s indigenous people is observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s - Collins Lungu indigenous population. This event also President of NMCS, Zambia recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people "A home has many members, most of make to improve world issues such as which are gone way before us. They environmental protection. As we live on in the memory we hold within, celebrate this day we remember the the story we share about the world people who rst called this land as they left for us. To keep this journey their home. We remember the going we protect a home we have struggles and traditions heritage and known for generations. Our home, our culture of the indigenous people. On community will always be our heritage. 7 Let us protect our indigenous ourselves from the opponents of the communities; they have a story to tell." indigene. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- - Patrick Drishya President of BCSM (Bangladesh Catholic Student movement) - Zione Luhanga, Pan-African Veterinary Vaccine For JHARKHAND AICUF Centre of the African Union, Malawi It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread Armoured with especial values of across 70 countries worldwide. Sustainable life styles, respect, Practicing unique traditions, they Humility and tolerance, the indigenous retain social, cultural, economic, and peoples helped shape mother earth, political characteristics that are "Our common home", into what we distinct from those of the dominant know today, with practices that are societies in which they live. Spread part of the cultural Identity and helps across the world from the Arctic to the forge a sense of connection with their South Pacic, they are the descendants world. of those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic It is therefore, not enough to only show up in solidarity and speak out against origins. the injustices the indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are the holders of face, we have to do what is within us to break such injustices and differentiate unique languages, knowledge systems, and beliefs and possess invaluable 8 knowledge of practices for the sustainable management of natural resources. Indigenous peoples hold their diverse concepts of development, based on their traditional values, visions, needs, and priorities. Even though the indigenous people are the ones who are the rightful owners of the lands, they were displaced and driven away from their ancestral homelands. Today, these indigenous populations throughout the globe are facing similar problems and are ghting for their land and way of life. At present they are facing hardships in education, employment, and even basic human rights. It is rightly said that it is the indigenous community who are the best protectors of nature. Torture towards them is the torture towards the ecology. In this ‘International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2020,’ we urge all the people to come forward to raise their voice against the suppression towards the indigenous community. We ask them to stand beside them and give to them what is rightfully theirs. May the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 be the milestone for the development in the lifestyle of the suffering people. ---------------------------------------------- 9 new generation of Indigenous leaders who have the leadership, skills and heart to ensure our planet gets the justice she deserves. As more and more political leaders fail us, all the more the student movements should rise to the occasion and ll those gaps. The student movements should also be ready to face the repercussions of challenging unjust structures and hence, must be resilient for the long ght ahead. Long Live International - Adrian Pereira Executive Director Solidarity!!! North-South Initiative ---------------------------------------------- North-South Initiative (NSI) would like to share solidarity greetings to the AICUF Jharkhand on behalf of Indigenous Day. The role of Indigenous people is so vital today that they hold indigenous knowledge and wisdom on how to manage and even repair the damage towards Mother Earth. We truly are running out of time to ensure we do not do irreversible damage to the planet and the Indigenous people hold the key to this. We also call on all governments to respect Indigenous lands and ensure they are kept free from so-called development which only brings destruction due to human greed. Last but not least, we wish AICUF Jharkhand all the best in inspiring a 10 11 12 अबुआ िदशुम अबुआ राज 13 14 15 16 17 18 हम अपना हक़ मांगते, नही ं िकसी से भीख मांगते 19 20 21 22 “ AICUF motto” हमने एक अ ायपूण समाज म ज िलया है और हम यह ण करते है की हम इसे वैसा नही छोड़गे जैसा की हमने इसे पाया है We are born into an unjust society and we are determined not to leave it as we have found it. 23 Indigenous leaders who gave their blood to assert our right, for our land. It is with great joy that we celebrate this special day with the Indigenous peoples around the world living across 90 countries there are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples, which represent 5000 different culture and majority of the world’s estimated 7000 languages. While we celebrate this International Day during this Pandemic, we are taking care of the spread of the pandemic, Indigenous peoples are seeking their own solution to this Meenakshi Munda pandemic. They are taking action and Assistant Professor, using tradition knowledge and practice President of Jharkhand such as voluntary isolation, and sealing Indigenous Youth for Action off their territories, as well s preventive measures. Apart from that we should also remind ourselves that Indigenous Indigenous communities and peoples in many parts of the world still their knowledge is needed for suffer from the continuing discrimination and violations of their the sustainable development individual and collective human rights and for a better future the forced displacement from their ancestral territories leading to chronic Johar! poverty including extrajudicial killings the grabbing and expropriation of their 9th August memorialize the lands and resources, the continuing International day of the worlds threat to Indigenous cultures and Indigenous peoples, also the recognition identities that indigenous peoples still of the rst UN working Group on suffer. Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982. According to the United Nations Today the recognition that declaration on the rights of Indigenous indigenous peoples have achieved at the peoples, adopted by general assembly on national as well as international level 13th September 2007, Indigenous has been in the dreams of our ancestors peoples must be free to enjoy their who were here long before us. Indeed cultures, speak their languages, take we walk in the footprints of the care of their lands and enjoy full and 24 effective participation in the decision making where they live. In dignity and justice we, Indigenous peoples, strive to raise our children and grand children in our culturally appropriate ways so that they may prosper and prepare the paths for our future generations. Have a meaningful International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples! एक तीर एक कमान, सभी आिदवासी एक समान 25 26 27 28 Student Corner 30 31 importance in the hearts of BIRSA MUNDA led to a revolution adivasis because they clashed for to protect their lands from EAST the rst time with East India INDIA COMPANY, as a result Company. Jadugoda is oddly British government drafted CNT famous for something else. It is act. This act prohibits transfer of the headquarters of Uranium tribal land to a non-tribal. But the Corporation of India limited. ground reality speaks something Uranium mining is done from last else. The government has 53 years of its establishment. amended this act 26 times and Excessive mining of ore gives large tried to make it weaker and easy amount of residue which is very for outsiders to buy tribal lands. radioactive. The residue is As a result of several amendments disposed in tailing ponds. It is very “dikus” have settled over various harmful to live near the tailing parts of chotanagpur region. ponds because they contain 70 to Adivasis are very sensitive about 80% radiation in it due to lack of their land. In the name of wealth, maintenance, during rainy season they have a piece of earth. It acts the tailing pond overows to the as a source of living throughout village carrying radioactive their life. The government takes elements in it. It acts as a slow their land for certain purpose and poison. Children’s and women’s gives money in compensation. have to bear the consequences. Money ends sooner or later then People suffer from sterility and they die starving. In the year 1994, lung cancer. Since they have given the government proposed to their land for mining, they have no develop the periodic eld ring food to eat. They are forced to range as a pilot project. It covers work at nominal prices without around 1659 sq km of area which safety precautions. They lack was like 265 villages. The agitators proper sanitation facilities and know that it will directly affect 2 radioactive free drinking water. lakh people of chotanagpur region. Government has promised to The government looked it as an displace them to some other place opportunity to grab tribal land. It but till now nothing of that sort was clear violation of CNT-SPT has happened yet because WHO Act. CARES? 32 “Jaan denge,Jameen nahi” project. As a result the project shut down in the year 2007 by the Revolution led by Jan Sangharsh governor. Comparing it with the Samiti resulted in the extension of present scenario, if this would the notication. This notication have happened today, the things was extended till the year 2022.It would have been completely is time for all of us to raise our different. voices for the same. We have to unite in all proportions to stand The government would have strong. Land is our only asset labeled this project strategic and which provides us income and acts clear it through EIA. Then they as a source of living. would have forcefully taken our land for the same. Chotanagpur is not what it looks like; it has way deeper and darker Chotanagpur plateau is secret which government hides. If ecologically rich. It has various the new EIA 2020 draft is types of plants, herbs, shrubs approved then it will directly affect which has medicinal values. Let’s adivasis. It is very important to plea to support adivasis in saving oppose it. I have a very strong environment. They are unaware of reason to say so. In the draft, there the decisions made by the is a point where it has been government .Let us stand strong written that central government for saving our environment. If we can declare any project strategic will not then WHO WILL? and give it exemptions from EIA WHY ADIVASIS DONOT GIVE clearance. UP THEIR LANDS? We all are aware of KOEL-KARO “THEY ARE BORN FROM IT, movement. Dams were to be built THEY LIVE WITH IT AND THEY in Koel and Karo River near Basia, DIE FOR IT” gumla for the production of hydroelectricity. The area of around 140 villages was going to Abhinav Lakra be submerged in water. The movement responded strongly to the threat of displacement by the 33