ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

JharkhandSubscribe to Jharkhand

Jharkhand’s New Sthaniyata (Local Resident) Policy

The history of “1932 Khatiyan” and the debate about “Who can be a local resident in Jharkhand?” is traced. In answering this question, several terms are used that unfold historical and contemporary development paradigms, in-migration flows and the process of industrialisation, and political economy, employment and electoral politics in Jharkhand. The article also argues that it is problematic to think in terms of binaries, when considering sthaniyata, such as Adivasis versus Dikus, original settlers versus more recent in-migrants, and cities built by industries versus Fifth Schedule Areas and legal safeguards.

Intergenerational Effects of Educating Girls on Empowering the Next Generation

The study was undertaken with financial support from a consortium of funders, including Bank of America Foundation, Chanel, Kiawah Trust, Tata Trusts, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development through grants awarded to Dasra, Mumbai; their support is gratefully acknowledged. Funding agencies played no role in designing the study, collecting, analysing, and interpreting the data, writing up this paper, or submitting it for publication. The authors are grateful to Sreya Bhattacharya, Shivani Gupta, Shailja Mehta, and Harihar Sahoo for their comments and support and to Dasra, Mumbai, for permission to use the data.
 

Coding the Indigenous

While the religious code will undoubtedly create an imagined community by identifying common traits of spirituality among the Scheduled Tribes, challenges are bound to appear due to the presence of Adivasis from other religions as well as the plurality in Adivasi discourse. To overcome this challenge, community leaders will require to create a consensus based on grounded realities.

 

Setting the Record Straight on Birsa Munda and His Political Legacy (Part-II)

Although the role of Birsa Munda has been seminal in championing the Adivasi cause, his political movements and legacy have been distorted, like other prominent Indian historical figures, including B R Ambedkar and M K Gandhi. Despite misrepresentations, Birsa Munda and his politics continue to inspire not just Adivasis but also Dalits and other marginalised sections in their pursuit of attaining social justice.

Iron Ore Mines in Jharkhand

The many provisions granted under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 remain elusive when the absence of a direct employer–employee relationship mars their rights and chances of a meaningful work life. The article reviews the contract labour system as maintained in an iron ore mine in Jharkhand.

Setting the Record Straight on Birsa Munda and His Political Legacy (Part- I)

Although the role of Birsa Munda has been seminal in championing the Adivasi cause, his political movements and legacy have been distorted, like other prominent Indian historical figures, including B R Ambedkar and M K Gandhi. Despite misrepresentations, Birsa Munda and his politics continue to inspire not just Adivasis but also Dalits and other marginalised sections in their pursuit of attaining social justice.

Governing Sacred Groves

Sacred groves are widely recognised for their religious, cultural, and ecological value. They are an intrinsic part of traditional and indigenous practices of forest governance. However, the contemporary sacred forest system is not an autonomous world. Its sociopolitical landscape is not confined only to the village either. Based on extensive fieldwork in Jharkhand, this paper argues that sacred groves have evolved to be dynamic spaces of multilevel institutional interactions and contestations. Their conservation is contingent on the intersectional dynamics of indigenous, state, and institutional processes. Classical approaches of sacrality of the nature and forms of forest worship need to be combined with the concerns of the local environment, democracy, gender, caste, conservation, and culture.

 

Why India Needs a Coal Mines Environment Authority

Given India’s continued dependence on coal to supply power for industrial and residential consumers at affordable prices, the country needs a unified coal mines environment authority staffed with multidisciplinary expertise to assess and minimise the adverse environmental impacts of coal mines with an integrated approach to ensure more efficient, effective, and transparent environmental governance. This authority must be created by enacting a sustainable coal mining bill before private sector commercial coal mines commence operations.

 

Memories of the Father of Our Movements, Father Stan Swamy

A researcher and activist remembers the time spent with Father Stan Swamy at Bagaicha, a community training centre that was started by the Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist.

Just Transition in Coal

The article discusses why it is an imperative for India to begin deliberation on a just transition from coal in light of some of the compelling factors. It then evaluates what a just transition in India might entail building on an on-ground study of a coal district in Jharkhand, one of India’s top coal mining states. And finally, it outlines the planning and policy considerations that will be necessary to support a just transition.

 

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