Democracy of the Oppressed: Adivasi Poverty and Hunger

312 Pages·2020·2.17 MB·English

by  Ramdas Rupavath, Werner Menski

Democracy of the
Oppressed

Democracy of the
Oppressed
:

Adivasi Poverty and Hunger
By
Ramdas Rupavath
Democracy of the Oppressed: Adivasi Poverty and Hunger

By Ramdas Rupavath

This book first published 2020

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Copyright © 2020 by Ramdas Rupavath

All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN (10): 1-5275-4843-0
ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-4843-5

Cover Page by Miss. Gayathri Ram Rupavath, Bachelor of Planning and
Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi,
India
To

Grandfather and Mother
Shri. Venkatiya Naik Rupavath
Smt. Bheemini Bai Rupavath
This study has been carried out to assess the impact of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on the socio-
economic status of tribals in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The book takes a
tour of the history of democratic decentralisation in India and charts how it
has caused issues among different sections of society, often benefitting the
rich and leaving the poor even more marginalised. Professor Rupavath looks
in detail at the many development programmes in India which have been
designed to alleviate poverty and examines, through empirical research, the
role of the state and the socio-economic impact the programmes have had
on the Adivasis. Interviews held in the field have contributed to this study
which presents a rich resource for future policymakers, as well as
researchers and students in this very complex and intricate area. Findings of
the present study point out the inefficiency and rampant corruption involved
in the implementation of the MGNREGA over the years. It can be hoped
that the study will contribute to raising awareness on the part of the targeted
groups and, above all, showing officials the importance of transparency and
responsible governance for the effective implementation of this scheme and
others.
CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ................................................................................... ix

Foreword ................................................................................................... xi
By Werner Menski

Introduction ................................................................................................ 1
Poor Adivasis: The Causes of Poverty

Chapter One .............................................................................................. 10
Democracy Against the Oppressed: A Perspective from Below

Chapter Two ............................................................................................. 29
Democratic Decentralisation in India: The Dilemma of India’s Democracy

Chapter Three ........................................................................................... 66
Development and Poverty Programmes in India

Chapter Four ........................................................................................... 110
Taking Account of the Social Dimension and the Role of the State

Chapter Five ........................................................................................... 133
Democratic Decentralisation and the Socio-Economic Impact on Adivasis
in India

Chapter Six ............................................................................................. 152
Procedures of Exclusion and Adverse Inclusion

Chapter Seven ......................................................................................... 200
The Impact of the MGNREGA: A Study of the Overall Quality of Life
of Adivasis as Regards Socio-Economic Outflow. The Perception
of Respondents

Chapter Eight .......................................................................................... 246
A Multidimensional Analysis of the Impact of Policy Implementation
on Livelihood Changes
viii Contents

Chapter Nine ........................................................................................... 269
Findings, Observations and Conclusions

Bibliography ........................................................................................... 286
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Ved Prakash, Chairman,
Indian University Grants Commission, New Delhi and other selection
committee members of this Major Research Project (MRP) for accepting
my proposal and agreeing on the budget. I want to offer special thanks to
the administrative staff and vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad
for their institutional assistance in carrying out this study. The support and
cooperation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) staff cannot be
forgotten.
I would like to express gratitude to the Head, Department of Political
Science and Coordinator Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS), for financial
help in editing the manuscript, and to the Dean, School of Social Sciences
and the Project section of the University of Hyderabad for their
administrative support in completing this project. The support of the Indira
Gandhi Memorial Library and the National Institute of Rural Development
and the Panchayati Raj cannot be forgotten.
Prof. Werner Menski MA PhD, Emeritus Professor of South Asian
Laws, School of Law, SOAS, University of London, London WC1H 0XG,
UK Jurist of the Year 2009, is especially acknowledged for his valuable
suggestions and constant encouragement.
I would also like to express my thanks to Dr. M. N. Rajesh, Department
of History, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Dr. George
Tharakan and Tapan Kumar Bihari, Biwanath Nayak, and M. Ramulu, and
Nasir Ahmad Ganaie, Mr. Nishanth Kumar (Deputy Manager, SBI)
I want to express special thanks to the MGNREGA staff and PRI
members of the Khammam, Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and
Malkangiri, Puri district of Odisha for their support in the collection of
primary and secondary data.
Thanks, are also due to Eleanor Moore for editing this manuscript and
for her constant encouragement, and to Cambridge Scholars Publishing,
United Kingdom.
I would like to thank my wife Jayasri Dharavath, and daughters, Sai
Srinidhi Rupavath and Gayathri Ram Rupavath, and my brother Chandru
Naik Rupavath, Peeki Bai, and sisters, Bangari Bai, Saida Naik, Seetha Bai,
Lakya Naik, and my family members, Mansingh Naik, Diwali Bai, Pachman
Naik, Smt. Gomi Bai, Badhiya Naik, Lacchi Bai, Manya Naik, Lucky Bai,
Hema Naik, Smt. Puri Bai, Moti Bai, Sangya Naik, Sakri Bai, Sukya Naik,