Learning Lessons:

February 04/2013: Land has been one of the first possessions of the human race in this very world. Once the nomadic man found a spot where he could be comfortable, he demarcated it as his territory. In fact, most animals are fiercely territorial and can kill or get killed in the process of asserting their territories. In the wild world, predators mark their territory with familiar signs that the enemy could read easily and steer clear from, if he does not want to engage. Crossing over to enemy territory could mean death by all means, because the other party has to either defend his territory or concede defeat and flee.

The human race started off with communal living and soon realized the importance of territory. Tribes were known to kill strangers who mistakenly wandered into their guarded space. Wars were fought over land for so many centuries. Kings and Rulers zealously guarded their kingdoms and the citizenry therein because they believed that was their pine duty. Look at the New World. The Apaches and Comanches fought tooth and nail with the white man to save not only their buffaloes but also the land and the brush that grew upon it. Eventually, whiskey and firearms took their toll and the white convicts gathered there from all European countries proved themselves able by taking control of the terrain and all that it had to offer. For the brave Amerindians, getting pushed into a life of suffering and sadness became a reality and the ‘Reservations’ turned out to be another word for a concentration camp or ghetto.

Citing historical reasons, the Western world tried to get rid of the Jewish ‘pest’ by creating a modern nation named Israel. The formation of the country forced the Palestinians to leave their land unwillingly. But till today they have not given up the hope of recovering what seems to be rightfully theirs. This kind of a land grab mindset rules the so-called civilized world even today.

Look, for instance, what is happening in the Jagatsingpur district of Orissa. In the olden days, it could have been marauders like the Afghans or Moslems from Central Asia, like Babur, who trampled upon the natives of this sub-continent because of the advantage of firearms. Today, the scenario does not seem to have changed much. Only difference is that, in India, while we claim to be a nation that professes democracy as its administrative system, our behavior is certainly most dictatorial. Our rulers now prefer to play second fiddle to the almighty ‘Corporates’. These business establishments are now convinced that their juggernaut shall not be obstructed by anyone. Pohang Steel Company case is a point to ponder about. Children and women being lathi charged to succumb to the demands of Posco on their ancestral lands seems to have taken the situation back to the ‘wild’.

It is indeed sad when some people mouth words that stink of nonsense. It is far from the truth that most people in the Posco area want to voluntarily give up their lands and homes. In fact, the reverse is true. They are vehemently protecting their own homes. Police is not protecting the innocents and giving back the land to the rightful owners. Ancestral lands are being snatched away without consent, which is nothing short of a barbaric land grab movement. In a democracy the government is supposed to protect the citizens and ensure their rights are safeguarded. One has to look at neighboring West Bengal where the CPI(M) led Left Front government had to bite the dust in the elections after it tried to forcibly usurp land under the pretext of ‘development’. The ‘Nano’ project of the Tatas was truly instrumental in bringing about a change in that state. However, learning lessons from other’s follies does not seem to be a strong point of Indian administrators.