Jharkhand state in eastern India, formed on 15 November 2000, is almost a green land with verdant hills, enchanting waterfalls and valleys, lush pasture land and sprawling countryside dotted with varieties of herbs, plants and trees.
In today’s development scenario Jharkhand’s potential is immense. Someone has rightly said that, in spite of this rich potential, ‘Jharkhand suffers from resource curse.’
Verily so! The state accounts for India’s 40% of mineral wealth, but almost about 40% of the population are poor or below the poverty line. In mineral resources it ranks in the country as follows:
1st for sillimanite, uranium, copper, mica, kainite, and asbestos,
2nd for chromite,
3rd for coal, bauxite, and thorium,
4th for iron ore,
6th for gold
8th for manganese, limestone, china clay, fire clay, graphite
Silver, soap stone etc., too are found in Jharkhand.
In spite of such mineral wealth and also forest wealth, Jharkhandi people, particularly the indigenous, remain poor or illiterate and powerless to a great extent.
The wheels of development grind slow due to many factors. Exploitation of minerals by outsiders, big business magnates and friends of ministers and politicians is a big factor. In spite of tenancy laws, hills, forests and even agricultural land are not spared, leaving many people landless or forced to become migrant labour force. Bureaucratic delays, middlemen’s muzzle power, corruption and internal politics add to the woes of Jharkhand.
The tribals not equipped with business acumen become a prey to exploiters.
The 22 year old Jharkhand is still groping to find its way in terms of health needs, purchasing power of people, literacy, education, housing, better avenues of cultivation, transportation and other infrastructure needs.
The formation of Jharkhand was by freeing itself from the mother-in-law tentacles of Bihar for the sake of using its rich resources for its people’s development. But has anything changed? Growth is slow; development is at snail’s pace.
People’s awareness needs to get sharpened. Yesterday’s bows and arrows need to be replaced today with intellectual brainwave and a thinking cap. The messianic movements of yesteryears had their use value. But, today, a new wave of political acumen and leadership has to grow.