Chapter 6
A Search for Alternatives: The SAKTI Experience
he preceding chapters provide a perspective of
the magnitude of the predicament encountered by tribals, particularly the
Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The predicaments permeate every conceivable level of the system,
comparable to some virulent disease. To
cure, or even begin to venture to cure the system is an exercise necessitating
substantial sagacity in the manipulation of the various institutions of
"democracy". The preceding chapters make
it altogether clear, that for a tribal to make such an attempt, is a remote
chance, even after fifty years of 'independence'. Regardless, this does not imply that such
endeavor should not be made, or that they will not prevail. In order to facilitate attainment, the
tribals, their ways of life, their needs and propensities have to be
recognized. They have to be equipped and
enabled at all levels. Macro level
intentions are unlikely to prevail without an comprehensive cognition of
specific and constituent microcosms and their dynamic interrelationships. Any empowerment must also be equated by
parallel and complementary efforts by tribal communities themselves to augment
their capabilities and organize themselves to meet the challenges. All this requires alternative solutions to
the ills of the system. It is this that
SAKTI is striving to serve. By doing so,
it is oiptimistic that tribals will take the cue and begin searching credible
alternatives by themselves. Some
beginnings have been made. Twenty seven
years after the enactment of the 1/70 Regulation, tribals in the West Godavari
District taking one such cue, have translated their ideological land struggle
into democratic action, demanding public readings of land recors and occupation
of lands of dubious ownership. This has
had a domino effect; other forces, including the PWG have taken up the
voice. This change in psyche is what
SAKTI seeks. Yet far from any utopian
culmination of the undertaking it began, SAKTI has gained ground and made
definitive inroads. The path, however,
has not been easy. Vested interests have
often sought to throw the proverbial spanner into not only SAKTI's works, but
also into that of the traditional Raya Sabha of Adilabad. Government Departments have issued memos to
senior Government personnel who have attempted to further the tribal cause by
working with NGOs to "desist from patronizing" them. In these circumstances, SAKTI has sought
relief through litigation - and obtained it.
The succeeding pages graphically summarize some of these alternatives
over the years of SAKTI's existence. Due
to limitations of space and the redundancy of repetition, the activities
initiated in a given year may not reflect in the succeeding year. This, by no means indicates that these
activities were discontinued. The
programmes grow, both quantitatively, as well qualitatively through heuristic
experience.
Please
see for organisation charts : c:\sundardocuments\chapter_6plats.ppt
