Industrialisation over Indigenisation: Better or Bitter?

Industrialisation over Indigenisation: Better or Bitter?

Aniruddha Jena 

AB Fellow

At a time, when the world is undergoing a rapid and unprecedented sphere of change for the attainment of pre-fixed developmental goals by the new ways and means like industrialisation and urbanisation. Each and every society irrespective of their nomenclature and societal structure, are running after to find the right spirit and momentum to bring the positive spirit if change and the change which will be termed in economic term as development. Irrespective of the governmental administration of state as well as central government, in each and every session they are coming with new programmes and forum to enhance the standard of living of the commoners and for the betterment of the common lives in the society.

But more often the questions which are being posed before the state as well as central government over the phenomenon of development is also quite justifiable. Both the state as well as central government are highly dependent and are strong believer of the industrialisation, as they believe that it is one of the most viable means to bring positive transformation to the society. On the other hand the local as well as indigenous community and groups are posing question over this very idea of the government as it has a strong detrimental dimension to the local and indigenous identity and culture. The local communities and the indigenous culture are vulnerable to get abolished by the means of urbanisation and industrialisation. Because of the very fact that the area in which the indigenous culture and identity are still in practice, are also happening to be the geographical destination to establish and set up new industries as these places are highly preserved with natural resources and all.

Taking Odisha as a particular state as an example, where indigenous identity and culture are still in much practice in various clusters and corners of the state and indigenous people are having their own lifestyle and leading their lives on their own indigenous way. At the same time, one has to accept the very fact that Odisha as a state is one of the poorest state in the country, taking per capita income and purchasing power of the commoners into consideration. But when it comes to natural resources and other important attributes for the very of industrialisation, Odisha is one of the top priority in order to establish new industries and all, because of the various factors like low cost of labour, filled with natural resources, poverty, unemployment etc. So the state government particularly taking much initiatives to bring in new business and industrial magnets to start up their ventures in Odisha, so that the state itself will get benefited from that. But on the contrary the indigenous culture and identity are being sided and the livelihood of the indigenous people is put in a halt. When it comes to the livelihood of the indigenous people, mostly they are dependent on the forest as major source of livelihood, when industrialisation will certainly takeaway forest from the hands of the indigenous people, then it is a direct way of demolishing the indigenous culture and not living any space for their survival.

It is a matter of huge concern for the all the indigenous communities for their culture’s and identity’s survival, when there is no space being left for them to lead their life in their own indigenous ways and means. Taking particular example of Dongria Kondh of Rayagada district of Odisha (Southern), it has been a long time the clash between the governmental administration and the local indigenous community (Dongria Kandh) for the Niyamgiri project of Vedanta (An industrial empire). The indigenous community are in a state not to leave their home land and livelihood and the government on the other hand is try to compensate them by giving various schemes and other emoluments to clear all the bottlenecks to set up the industry.

At the end it is evident to write that application of various ways and means for a better society and a better life is never limited to one ways and means (Industrialisation), because it has been said and the history has seen it that each every society has to come out with their own indigenous plans and formulas which will help them in attaining all the societal as well as developmental goals. There is no means of applying or inheriting other ideas and ideologies for a long term prospects, It will always have some negative side to it and at the end the society has to pay the price.