Commons for IDPs: excluded from Policy?

Sushanta Kr Sarma
IRMA, India

Ishan Agrawal
FES, India

Who are IDPs..

Internal displacement is involuntary movement of population from their place of habitual residence to avoid situation of violence, disaster etc.

Development induced displacement : India dd some figuresand response of government

Conflict Induced Displacement: India

2,50,000 people are displaced from Kashmir valley since 1990. 15,000 people from Poonch district of Kashmir due to border fencing. 47,000 people are displaced during 1993,1996 and 1998 Bodo and non Bodo violence in Assam. 1,25,000 people are displaced during Bodo-Muslim violence in 2008. 45,000 Adivasis are living in displacement in Chattishgarh

Conflict Induced Displacement: India

2,50,000 people are displaced from Kashmir valley since 1990. 15,000 people from Poonch district of Kashmir due to border fencing. 47,000 people are displaced during 1993,1996 and 1998 Bodo and non Bodo violence in Assam. 1,25,000 people are displaced during Bodo-Muslim violence in 2008. 45,000 Adivasis are living in displacement in Chattishgarh

IDPs: what is the loss?

Loss of habitation. Loss of livelihood. Loss of identity. Looked more as law and order situation.

Discourse on IDPs
Overriding public interest, necessity and proportionality Discourse is more skewed towards a right based approach 40-50% of development induced displacement are tribals. The majority of conflict induced displacement ( North east India, central India ) are in tribal areas.

Rise in IDPs
Figures of last decadeor so

IDPs in India
Add the map

 State dependence on common.NSSO from down to earth

 Tangible and intangible assets comprises an important part of livelihood portfolio ( Swift, 2006). Tangible asset include food and stocks, gold jewelry etc. Intangible assets include access and claims Access is the opportunity in practice to use a resource , to obtain information , technology etc. Claims constitute demand and appeal which can be made for materials like food, loan etc.

IDPs in India

Sustainable livelihood
Livelihood is defined as adequate stock of flows of food and cash to meet basic needs. Security refers to secure ownership of , or access to , resources and income-earning activities, including reserve and assets to offset risk, ease shocks and meet contingencies. Sustainable refers to maintenance or enhancement of resources productivity on a long-term basis ( WCED,1987).

Displacement : Alienation from Common

Forest Policies
Forest Policy, 1988 : The purpose of the policy is conservation of forests and forest management for improving the income from forests. Talks of JFM but falls short of providing entitlements.

Forest Rights Act, should have eclipsed all pre-existing laws, but in practice, it has not.
FRA mentions about the people being displaced, especially those from protected areas. Their claims are to be settled first. However, the process is still pending. No mention of Conflict Induced Displacement in FRA

Rehabiliation and Resettlement bill, 2007

Definition of Affected Family and the process of social assessment. Who will define Project affected area? Applies only when more than 400 families are being displaced. (200 or more in tribal/hilly areas/DDP blocks) (Chapter II, 4(1) Involuntary displacement legitimised. The Government Controlled process of resettlement and rehabilitation. The land allocated to displaced population is again to come from Government wastelands or any other type of land. Bill is silent on rights on CPRs for PAFs.

Conclusion
Understanding of Commons as livelihoods not recognized in policy response, barring FRA and PESA. Need for people oriented process for effective rehabilitation Role of external agency for developing common property regime for the habitations of displaced population. Need to think beyond private land as compensation.

Enabling agencies Personal Social Financial

Service providers

The Poor
Natural

Human

Physical