The marginalised from Western Odisha who migrate out of the state lead difficult lives

By: Pradeep Baisakh

Original Article :- http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/movement-worse

Movement for worse

The marginalised from Western Odisha who migrate out of the state lead difficult lives

Bhubaneswar Bindhani has not heard of a UNDP Human Development Report Paper, ‘Migration and Human Development’. It is quite likely the authors of the 2009 report did not take note of the fortunes of this resident of Nuagaon village in Odisha’s Nuapada district when they wrote, “migration fosters development of the migrant people.” They also perhaps did not take note of many other people from Odisha’s western districts who migrate every year to work in sub-human conditions at brick kilns and construction sites in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In 2010, eight members of Bindhani’s family sought work in different parts of Andhra Pradesh to return a loan of Rs 27,000. Non-profit ActionAid’s statistics show 200,000 people migrated from the western districts of Odisha to work in the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh. Data compiled by another non-profit, Migration Information and Resource Centre (MIRC), shows 150,000 people migrated from Balangir district in 2009-2010. According to this non-profit, most migrants are landless or small or marginal farmers, and belong to the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.

The condition of the migrant workers of this area is well encapsulated by the Inter-state Migrant Workmen’s (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act, 1979. The Act’s preamble reads, “At the time of recruitment, sardars or khatadars promise that wages calculated in piece-rate basis would be settled every month, but usually this promise is never kept. Once the worker comes under the clutches of a contractor, he takes him to a far-off place on payment of railway fare. No working hours are fixed for these workers.”

Miriki Tandi of Balangir district, who worked at a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh’s Nalgonda district, told this writer that brick kiln workers labour for 18 hours a day throughout the season (October/November to May/June) for a weekly allowance of Rs 300. A typical labour unit constitutes two adult members and a child. This unit is supposed to make 150,000 to 200,000 bricks in seven months. The families usually eat broken rice (chicken fodder) with dal and sometimes a little curry. “A good meal at a brick kiln is a dream for us,” lamented Tandi.

An MIRC study notes that more than 80 per cent of migrant children work with their parents. The study also notes that 10 per cent of the total migrants are in the age group of 6-14, who lose education for seven months in a year. It points out that 49 per cent of such children go to schools when they are not labouring in other states; the rest are either dropouts or never enrolled in the school due to uninterrupted migration. In the destination areas only a handful of children get education in schools run by NGOs.

Very often, the workers are tortured by employers. In April 2010, newspapers in Odisha reported the death of a migrant worker from Balangir, Rupadhar Bariha. Kept as a bonded labourer along with his family at a brick kiln in Nalgonda district, Bariha was beaten to death by kiln owner Jagan Seth. Last year, the Balangir administration had to rescue people from the district working as bonded labourers in brick kilns in Andhra Pradesh’s Ranga Reddy district. Most brick kilns in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh as well as in parts of Odisha are not registered under company laws and are rarely monitored by labour departments.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme could have helped the migrants. But the scheme has not really worked well in Odisha. In Balangir, for example, 61,000 of the 245,000 job card holders were covered under the scheme in 2009-2010. These job card holders have got an average of 43 days of employment, as per official figures. In Nuapada district only 18 per cent of the job cards (108,000) got an average of 27 days of employment in 2009-2010.

The author is a freelance journalist based in Bhubaneswar. He can be contacted at 2006pradeep@gmail.com

Balangir Municipality Is Setting Examples

Riyan Ramanath V

Courtesy-TOI

Unsightly landscapes and fetid surroundings governed their lives for 50 years. Thatched houses, sometimes asbestos and torn polythene for a ceiling made life in slums a never-ending misery.

Especially so during the rains when the water would wash away the cow dung plaster from the wall. Dwellers would have sleepless nights when roofs were blown away by strong winds.

But luck smiled on them promising a better and healthy life. The dwellers came out of the doles of disgrace as the Balangir municipality, within less than two years, completed half of the slum development projects sanctioned by the central government.

Out of the 10 slums on the outskirts of Balangir, dwellers have been settled in six locations. In the next step, the municipality will construct concrete roads, drains, water systems, a jogging track and a community hall giving the slums the look of a modern township.

Sraddhakar Naik, who has lived more than half his life in slums, said, "When I saw people around us living in good houses, I cursed my luck. But god is merciful. Now I am happy that my posterity won't blame me as it is they who will have a descent life."

Under Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), around 100 houses have been built. Municipality executive officer P K Gardia said they have listed 324 beneficiaries. "We didn't go by BPL norms. We looked into the living condition, economic status and checked whether the beneficiary has any permanent home anywhere," said Gardia.

The total project cost is Rs 8 crore. The municipality is awaiting a grant of another Rs 4.5 crore. "We have provided RCC roof in 300 sq feet area. Each unit will have a bedroom, kitchen and a living room," Gardia informed.

Bijakhaman, Salepali, Larkipali, Bishnumunda, Khaliapali, Talpali Pada and Bibhuti Pada slums were identified for the project.

"These slums were in such a pitiable state that dwellers could not enter or come out of their homes. During the rainy season, life would really be miserable. Rain water would collect and mix with drain water and garbage. Apart from the stink, epidemics would spread, there would be skin and stomach ailments," said Adikanda Jani, a slum beneficiary at Larkipali, adding that they were deprived of basic facilities as none wanted to visit the stinking locality.

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It's good to see finally some govt organization that too a city municipality is actually Working !!! Keep Up the Good Work and hope politics and corruption will not become roadblock in the upliftment of the poor....

2010 had its own kaleidoscopic impacts on Balangir

Written by Sudhir Mishra

Courtesy:- Daily Pioneer

The intense cold wave situation prevalent is all set to sweep out the year 2010 to pave the path for 2011, but as the remarkable past remains indelible in the annals of history, the district in 2010 was marked with the unprecedented presence of the Maoists, cultivation of banned Bt cotton and maize promoted by Monsanto, move to set up thermal plant besides having already hogged the headlines for the embarrassing starvation deaths.

Red Signal: A band of suspected red ultras, numbering around 100, had reportedly enquired about the village and nearby localities to a local youth while scouting their ways through the forest near Masina village in Khaprakhol block on August 25 night.

The Maoists launched their Jan Sampark Abhiyan in Masina and other villages in a bid to induct new recruits.

As per the police sources, the red rebels have been holding meetings since February while their presence was well-felt in August.

“We carried out combing operation on August 26 and 27 and with joining of the Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans, the operation was intensified from August 28,” informed SP Ajaya Sarangi.

Meanwhile, the ultras have divided into several small groups and are still pursuing their Jan Sampark, sources confided.

Hunger Beckons: The death of five members of Jhintu Bariha family of Chhabripali village due to alleged starvation, even after six decades of Independence, yet again attracted the media attention and rocked both the State and Centre.

While the district administration toiled hard downplaying the sham as death due to malaria and malnutrition, scores of visitors, including the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Rapporteur had visited the village and the villagers had shown him the wild seeds and roots they consume during the lean period.

Empowering ‘no-industry district’ via Thermal Plant: Just to ward off the ‘no industry district’-stigma, an attempt was made by the local young and energetic MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo and under his initiative, the Sahara group of companies is going set up a 1,320 MW Thermal Power Plant at Lutherbandh in Titiligarh, which evokes sharp opposition from the locals apprehending land and livelihood losses.

However, the company seems to be proceeding in its efforts by launching the welfare measures like ambulance and health camps in its peripheral areas.

Craze for banned Bt Cotton, Monsanto Maize: Unprecedentedly, the craze for the banned Bt cultivation soared up among the farmers across the district here without knowing its long term implications on soil and ecology.

To tackle the pest menace on crops and act quickly, an e-pest surveillance scheme was also launched in the district on a pilot basis.

Saviour rain turns Monster: Erratic rain wreaked havoc on agriculture. While deficient rainfall had augured in a drought-like situation earlier, the unseasonal rain, on the eve of paddy harvest, played spoiled sport hitting further a bolder blow on the backbone of the farmers.

Democratic Uprising: For the first time, the townsfolk protested before the Shailashree royal palace against the apathy of the local MP and MLA in fulfilling the longstanding demand of filling up the vacant teacher posts of Rajendra College and other colleges of the town.

Nonstop Labour Migration: It all seems to be a perennial stream as there is no stop to the usual migration of large number of labour force in quest of greener pastures despite the hullabaloos on violation of Human Rights, protection measures, poverty alleviation schemes and policies and steep decline in the traditional water harvesting structures.

A damn to healthcare: Besides other deadly diseases, HIV/AIDS is spreading fast both in the rural and urban pockets of the district having claimed 46 death toll and gripped 368 persons with no medicine and vacant laboratory technician posts turning the ART centre a mere bill-board.

Silver lining: Amid such dark spots on the bright moon of the district’s firmament, the silver lining had been with the boys here having excelled in the Inter-State Junior Badminton Championship and Kabbadi.

While local BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo went on a visit to the USA and Israel to acquaint himself with the nuances of management and development along with other young Indian MPs, former Law Minister and former local MLA Narsingha Mishra was appointed member of the National Law Commission, former minister and incumbent Patnagarh MLA KV Singh Deo as leader of the BJP legislature party in the Assembly and Kantabanji Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja created history by hurling the pen stand at the Assembly Speaker.

Sniti Mishra excelled in the Zee Saregama competition, students excelled in the HSC examination et al. Notwithstanding that, the optimistic denizens of the district are hopeful that the year 2011 brings in cheers in the faces of all.

Balangir Girl Prajna In Kaun Banega Crorepati -4

Prajna Paramita Guru from Balangir, Kosal belongs to a KBC family. Her uncle participated in Season 1 and wasn't able to cross the fastest finger first. He then came back in Season 2 and won Rs 6,40,000 from it. Prajna Paramita Guru's father also participated but wasn't able to made it to the hot seat. Prajna Paramita Guru is a lecturer in an Engineering College. She holds a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Telecommunication.

Prajna won 3,22000 only.

Video's of Prajna :-

Jayanti Mahanand of Balangir an inspirational young talent

Courtesy:- Indian Express

BALANGIR: With a pencil between two fingers of her right toe, she flawlessly drew on the theme of ‘sanitation and health education’ much to the surprise of people around her.

The 12-year-old Jayanti Mahanand was born with smaller arms. However, this did not quell her appetite for art. She says that she had always been spellbound by pictures. She has been drawing since the age of three. Her ability to draw with her legs was noticed at the Sishu Utsav, a Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan (SSA)-sponsored programme, held here recently on the Town Girls High School premises. She was one of the participants in the painting contest in the junior category. She completed the painting in less than half-an-hour, well before other competitors.

Not just a good painter but Jayanti has also been a good student throughout. She writes her examinations with her right leg and even for drawing straight lines, Jayanti does not require a scale. “I can write and draw anything with my right foot,” she says. She aspires to be an artist in future.

District Project Coordinator of SSA Abhimanyu Behera said they were encouraging such talents and the SSA would provide all possible support to these children.

“Jayanti has a rare talent and we discovered her during the Sishu Utsav. We are planning to raise some funds for her so that she gets to hone her skills,” said Behera.

Reluctant migrants - A Status Report on Migrant labour of Kosal

Written by:-

MAHIM PRATAP SINGH

Courtsey:- Frontline

Balangir district in Orissa, facing drought conditions since 1965, sees an annual mass migration of farmers to other States in search of work.

SURESH GOHIR of Bhotapada village in the backward Bolangir district of Orissa consumed pesticide two years ago after his paddy crop failed. He survived the suicide attempt but found life doubly difficult as debt had mounted. Suresh was forced to migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in search of work.

“This life is worse than death,” he says. “But there is a debt to repay, and so I have to find work.”

This is not an isolated case in Bhotapada. According to local people, about 60 of its 300 families have left the village to find work at the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh. Although the neighbouring State is the first choice, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh are also destinations for these small farmers and farm hands in distress.

A combination of erratic monsoons and unstable livelihoods has made farmers of the region adopt migration as a survival strategy. However, this phenomenon is not new to drought-prone Bolangir district; it has only assumed serious proportions. Informed sources in the region trace the history of the mass movement of farmers to the prolonged drought of 1965. It crystallised into a permanent feature by 1985.

Distress migration has fuelled a parallel economy in the region with a market where labour is traded as a commodity through a strong network of labour agents known as sardars. Its cruel economics begins operation every year with Nuakhai, an agricultural festival celebrated in western Orissa which coincides with the rice harvest in August-September. At that time farmers are financially vulnerable and seek money to celebrate the festival.

This social compulsion is exploited by labour agents who offer advance payments in return for a long and exploitative stint of labour at the brick kilns. The migration occurs in groups of four or five people, called patharia. More often than not, members of one family form a patharia. Often, adolescents who cannot form a group on their own join one of the patharias.

Each group is paid between Rs.20,000 and 25,000 as an advance by the sardars. The group has to work for a period of over six months at the kilns. The labour agent gets a 10 per cent cut from this advance. The advance payment effectively converts the workers into bonded labourers as they cannot return to their villages unless they have worked enough against the payment they have received.

At the work site, the labourers receive about Rs.300-500 a week towards food, which can be denied if they fail to meet their targets. “A patharia is expected to make up to two lakh bricks [starting from October-November and ending in May-June]. The weekly target for each of us is over 10,000 bricks,” says Brunda Behra of Larki village, lighting a beedi. “If we fail, we are denied our weekly food allowance, reprimanded, humiliated or even tortured physically,” he says.

There appears to be a huge mismatch between the figures provided by official and unofficial sources. Activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with migrant labourers put the number of people migrating every season at around two lakhs. However, the official figures are much lower. According to information provided by the labour office in Bolangir, the number of registered migrant labourers stood at 10,965 for 2006; 20,701 for 2007; 10,503 for 2008; and 4,965 for 2009. The sharp decline in the 2009 figures was attributed to the global recession. “Real estate activities went down because of the meltdown and so, in 2009, the demand for bricks was lower,” said P.K. Bhoi, the District Labour Officer (DLO).

This could also be the reason for the delayed migration of labourers last year. While the migration usually occurs around October, this time it peaked around January.

According to the DLO, there are 70 licensed labour agents who can be tracked by the office. However, he said, the real problem was “illegal migration”, which accounted for most of the inter-State labour movement. This was fuelled by the large number of illegal brick kilns operating around Hyderabad, he said.

“Most of the labourers go with unregistered sardars or with their relatives who are already working in Hyderabad,” said Bhoi. A shortage of staff has affected the labour office's efforts to keep a tab on the number of migrants. The labour office has been unable to post enough personnel at major exit points such as Turikela, Bongamonda, Kantabanji and Titilagarh.

“Our approach at the moment is curative, while the measures that are actually needed are preventive. Implementation of the NREGS [National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme] would be the correct step in the prevention [of the agrarian crisis],” the DLO said. “After journalist P. Sainath's [Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu] visits, the district administration has become more sensitive and proactive [to the issues that affect the small farmers in distress] than before,” he added.

The worst sufferers of this seasonal “debt migration” are women and children. Education of the children is a casualty in the migration process. Moreover, the children are forced into labour and are vulnerable to violation of their rights. Apart from economic exploitation, the migrant women face sexual exploitation.

“Women are often abused by contractors and even brick kiln owners,” says Venkateshwar, an activist working with migrant labourers in Hyderabad. “The problem is that the contractor divides family members and sends them away to work in different locations, which makes women vulnerable to harassment.” Informed sources in Hyderabad also listed the near absence of medical care and clean drinking water among other problems the migrant population faced.

Failure of the NREGS

“We used to work from 4 a.m. until 10 a.m., take rest up to 2 in the afternoon and then work again until 9 p.m.,” says Basu Bhoi of Bahbal village, who has been going to Hyderabad for the past three years. However, he stayed back in his village this year as he found work under the NREGS.

Although the NREGS has managed to curb distress migration, it has failed to emerge as a viable source of livelihood. “Luckily this time, there was some work under the scheme, but even that didn't stop most of the people as wages are almost always delayed,” says Dasrathi Bhoi.

Delayed payment of wages is proving to be the weakest link in the NREGS apparatus and also the prime reason why the scheme has not been able to curb migration to the expected extent. Delays of four to six months were reported by several workers who had found employment under the scheme.

In the case of those who were paid wages the same day, their job cards were blank. This indicated the involvement of contractors who pay lower wages and leave the cards blank.

Further, the presence of contractors in the NREGS has meant that labourers have to work under conditions laid down by them. This has resulted in a strange trend of inter-panchayat migration of NREGS workers whereby a contractor recruits labourers from a village to work in a neighbouring panchayat. This micro-level trend also explains the preference for migrant workers to local workers.

Preference for migrant labour

“Migrant workers are easy to manage. They are off their support systems and as such their bargaining power is low in comparison to the local people,” says B.P. Sharma, an advocate from Kantabanji in Bolangir district, who has been working with migrant labourers for over two decades.

“Once they are away from their local connections, they have to work unconditionally. Further, migrants also ensure completion of work since they cannot leave midway. This explains the general preference for migrant labour,” says Sharma.

While labour agents and employers promise medical benefits at the time of migration, they are often not given. In Behran Silet village of Turikela block, five families recently returned from Hyderabad before the end of the season owing to health problems.

“All of us, my husband, mother-in-law and two children, had malaria. Our employer did not provide us any medical help and since we could not work, he denied us food, too. We had no option but to return,” says Mithila, 35. Jugesar Sona of the same village, who received Rs.15,000 as an advance for his patharia consisting of himself, his wife, his mother and his two children, returned with his family under similar circumstances.