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- Convenor:
-
Buddhadeb Chaudhuri
(IUAES)
- Location:
- 205
- Start time:
- 18 May, 2014 at
Time zone: Asia/Tokyo
- Session slots:
- 2
Short Abstract:
"Development" has often adversely affected the disadvantaged people and human security. Anthropological understanding can be very useful in this context to provide social safety nets to impoverished, marginalized people.
Long Abstract:
All are now talking for "development" and evolving different strategies for development. The development programmes have benefited some while created disruption and displacement of a large population in many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. There is forest degradation and commercial afforestation as a result of which access and command over natural resources are restricted and survival and security of the people are also affected with non-availability of medicinal plants and less nutrition. One cannot stop exploitation of natural resources but what one is now looking for is how to achieve sustainable development. This may demand new development strategy with a genuine participatory approach and creating a process of natural resource use which is open, accessible and accountable for the security of the larger population.
The concept of 'human security' has initiated the debate - what 'security' means and how to achieve. A number of Commissions have helped to change the focus of security analysis from national and state security to security of the people. Human security calls for a shift of security considering from state security to security of the people. Justice, equality and human dignity are the watch words of human rights discourse and intimately connected with human security. But the inequity of the international economic order has produced unacceptable levels of inequality, both internally and internationally. Conflicts have emerged in different parts of the world making life of the disadvantaged people, women and children very difficult. Anthropology can contribute in understanding these issues and evolving proper strategies.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Zannat Ferdousi (Research and Development Collective (RDC)) Mesbah Kamal (University of Dhaka)
Paper short abstract:
"Development" in the form of a hydro-electricity project in CHT region displaced substantial indigenous population and subsequent non-recognition in constitution and demographic transfers drastically deteriorated their human security situation posing a challenge to development strategists on the way forward.
Paper long abstract:
In early 1960s, "development" in the form of hydro-electricity project had adversely affected the indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh displacing more than 100,000 of them and subsequent non-recognition in the constitution of 1972, coupled with massive demographic transfers of mainstream Bengalis from the plane-land to the hilly tracts between 1978 and 1986, marginalized them to the extent that their human security situation has drastically deteriorated.
Forced by encroaching new Bengali settlers, another 100,000 members of the indigenous communities migrated to neighbouring India as refugees and another 450,000 became internally displaced. Refugees returned with signing of Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord 1997 but complexities grew with the partial implementation of the Accord and the failure of the government to legislate the CHT Land Dispute Resolution (Amendment) Act 2013.
In fact, the indigenous peoples of the CHT are in an impoverished state now and the complexities generated by the mono-cultural policies of all governments since independence poses a serious challenge to development strategists including anthropologists on the way forward.
Xinyan Chi (Nanjing Normal University) Jia Wang (Shenzhen Bailu Travel Agency)
Paper short abstract:
The paper focuses on the violent terrorist activities with religious consciousness in Xinjiang, China, and tries to use religious classification method to establish common ancestors instead of color classification, which will play a positive role among humanity, affinity and dissolving hatred.
Paper long abstract:
The violent terrorist activities have been deteriorating in Xinjiang. Some groups of Uyghur claim they are descendants of White with academic viewpoint from white mummies of 3800 years unearthed in Xiaohe Cemetery, then question the sovereignty of Xinjiang, and boast they are enemies of china in 3000 years.
Historical recorded that the grandson of Emperor Huang, An, was granted in west. He led Ruo people to west, and his descendants established Parthian. The descendant of Emperor Huang, Yu, claimed to be Emperor in Central State, and built priest groups of white Ruo. Above activities were confirmed by archaeology, which could be regarded as the Central State (China) took sovereignty over Xinjiang in about 2500 BC to 2000 BC.
The paper tries to find out blood relationship between Han and Uyghurs with religion and culture analysis, to make them to recognize common ancestors in religion, then to marginalize racial differences, finally to reach psychological identification. The immediate measures might be: 1)to improve national ethnic policy; 2)to protect the ruins of white ancestors and develop root-tracing tourism; 3)to organize periodic forums and open academic taboo; 4)to include in compulsory education.
White people in Xiaohe cemetery were Ruo people, whose mother's ethnic group was white descendants of Shushan, and father's ethnic group was originated from Emperor Huang. Totems of birds and mice, wooden penises of Fuxi, 7-day sacrifices, 12 earthly branches and 12 zodiac, white stone gods, cattle gods, disymmetric snakes, were unearthed there, which were also civilization elements of Xia Dynasty.
Samar Biswas (University of North Bengal)
Paper short abstract:
Development is very much unidirectional and it has to be made sustainable. For that, conflict resolution is very much needed in a multi complex country, India. This article is going to focus on human security, inequality to equality and peaceful solution of culture clashes against deprivations.
Paper long abstract:
India is a multi-complex country. Here the people are divided into various tribes, castes, creeds, communities, languages, cultures, occupations, religions, social systems etc. This country is dominated by Hindu people who occupy around 80% of its total population. They are divided into five strata and these are also hierarchically arranged by several jatis/castes
However, 15-20% of total population of India (belonging to upper strata) occupies the 80-85% of the resources, whereas 80-85% people (belonging to lower strata) enjoy the 15-20% resources only. It is the fact that greater section of people is suffering from various problems related to food, shelter, education, economy, health, politics, and so on. In this regard, the tribal people who are the original inhabitants of this country are about more than 8% of total population. Once they were the owner of huge resources but gradually they were becoming almost beggar having no sufficient land, forest, water, shelter, food, education etc. However, this situation is creating an adverse effect on their daily life and preventing their entire development.
Whereas, little section of people (upper strata) enjoy all the facilities, meanwhile greater section of people face several problems related to human securities in all aspects- food, shelter, dress, education, politics, economy etc. and specially the tribals are the worst sufferer.
Madhurima Chowdhury (Calcutta University) Atrayee Banerjee (University of Calcutta)
Paper short abstract:
Development, at least for indigenous people, is not really about lifting them out of poverty; it is about masking the takeover of their territories which adversely affect their sustenance and way of life.
Paper long abstract:
About 1.2 billion people in the world today live on less than one dollar a day. Indigenous people constitute an important group of rural poor. They are also among the most vulnerable and marginalized of the rural poor. Development, coupled with deforestation, erosion and loss of bio-diversity all affect the indigenous peoples' health, sustenance and way of life. Indigenous groups' environmental problems stem from their tenuous rights to the land they occupy. Nor do governments or the World Bank require indigenous groups' consent before approving projects that affect their land or require their forced relocation. Poverty and encroachment onto their lands has led many indigenous groups to forsake traditional land use practices for often unsustainable hunting, agriculture and timber harvest methods which were previously unknown to them. In a 21st century world of expensive water, food, healthcare and power, self sufficiency has its attraction. It may not boost the GDP figures, but there are many indigenous people in the world who live longer and healthier than millions in nearby slums. Indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge and practices are increasingly being recognized as vital for conservation work and efforts to combat and adapt to climate change. Yet, despite this recognition, indigenous cultures have been damaged more often than not by development policies that ignore their traditional sources of knowledge and cultural priorities, and fail to respect their land rights. Development policies that take into account indigenous peoples' culture and identity can be beneficial not only to indigenous peoples, but also for developing countries.
Upasona Ghosh (Institute of Health Management Research) Shibaji Bose (Institute of Health Management Research)
Paper short abstract:
The paper explored health rights under the CRC whether and the extent of violation on the disadvantageous population in geo-climatic vulnerable areas like Indian Sundarbans through a mixed method approach and recommends special approach for children’s basic health rights in disadvantageous regions.
Paper long abstract:
Specific health rights under Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphatically declares that governments shall pursue full implementation of stated rights and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures to diminish infant and child mortality, shore up immunization and lay stress on nutrition, water and sanitation, right to breastfeeding and prenatal and postnatal care.
However, there are huge noticeable gaps within the Indian Constitutional provisions, policy implementation and actual practice. The background of this discrimination depends upon age old socio-economic-cultural-political loose ends in India. A glimpse of the logic behind this paper is based on very few existing endeavours in the developing and underdeveloped countries..
The overarching challenge, from a research viewpoint, is whether and to what extent child health rights are violated on disadvantageous islanders in geo-climatically vulnerable areas like Indian Sundarbans, a set of islands situated in the South eastern part of India. The present paper specifically lays focus on:
1) How vulnerable are the children of Sundarbans in terms of their health rights?
2) Why it is important to view child health rights through the lens of climatic vulnerability for disadvantageous populations?
These objectives were tested through various basic health indicators, nutritional status of the children and health service utilization through a mixed method approach. The present paper would recommend the need for a special approach to address children's basic health rights especially in disadvantageous regions like Indian Sundarbans.
Chandana Sarma (Cotton College)
Paper short abstract:
The Kaibartas are a fishing community of Assam, India belonging to the Scheduled Castes. The paper intends to find out the role of developmental programmes on these (fishing) people.
Paper long abstract:
The primary objective of the present paper is to find out the impact of development plans on the beneficiaries, the Kaibartas---a Scheduled Caste fisherman community of Assam. Data for the present study were collected through fieldwork inhabiting three villages in Kamrup District in Assam.
In recent years, there have been significant changes in their socio-economic life. The Kaibartas of Barpith and Boripara, the two peri-urban villages, nowadays accept intercaste marriages. With the rise in the level of education, there has been a gradual decline in the number of fishing population. The educated Kaibartas are leaving their traditional calling of fishing in preference to non-fishing jobs.
It is felt that the Kaibartas of the study villages at present require some improvement of their traditional occupation and education. The paper intends to throw light on the fact that the intended benefits under various developmental programmes have not by and large reached the poorest of the rural poor. Moreover, the Kaibartas should be provided facilities to undergo training in fishery training centres so that they can improve their skills of fishing. They should be made conscious of the fact that not only experience but also education is necessary to make one a good fisherman.