Chhatarpur, Buxwaha Diamond Project & The Role of Education
There might be many reasons why you are reading this. Maybe you have watched the latest news about Buxwaha Forest in Hindi, English and Regional News Channels or you might have seen some articles in the newspaper that would have given you a particular perspective about the whole issue
To the
uninitiated, it becomes extremely difficult to differentiate between fact and
fiction or should we say, misinformation. Here’s an attempt to understand the Buxwaha Forest Project, its History, and future plans through the
lens of two things that impact each and every facet of our lives – i.e. Education
and Socio-Economic Development.
How It All
Began - Buxwaha Forest Details
The Bunder
Diamond Block is a Greenfield mining project located in Tehsil Buxwaha of
Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh. Global mining giant Rio Tinto had
initially made the proposal for diamond mining in this project. Rio Tinto was
granted mining lease by the government who worked to secure various approvals
required for starting the mining operations, however, Rio Tinto existed the
project in the year 2017 and handed over the same back to the Government of
Madhya Pradesh.
In 2019, the
block was auctioned in a transparent and competitive bidding process as per the
provisions of MMDR Amendment Act 2015 & Mineral Auction Rules 2015. The
block garnered highest bid price of 30.05% of revenue share to the Government
of Madhya Pradesh during the auction process and the highest bidder was granted
the letter of intent for the Bunder Diamond Block
Literacy, Economic
and Social development
In 2011,
Chhatarpur’s population was 1,762,375 of which male and female were 936,121 and
826,254 respectively. The Male Literacy Rate was 72.66 % while the Female
Literacy Rate was 53.59 %. While there will be changes to the figures when the
new census figures will be released, the 2011 census gives us a glimpse and
idea of the region, the population and the literacy rate.
Chhatarpur’s
major focus is on farming, therefore education often takes a back seat. In
fact, the region is plagued by a vicious cycle – the lack of education results
in a lack of skills and the lack of skills results in people not getting jobs
and the heavy focus on agriculture results in less emphasis on schools for
primary and secondary education. The vicious cycle in turn has created a
society that’s not progressive in its outlook. The lack of jobs has also contributed
to migration. The Social Conditioning here is regressive and is responsible for
the lack of growth in the region at every level.
Misinformative Buxwaha Forest Articles?
Since the last few months, there have been multiple
articles claiming that the villagers near Buxwaha Forest have been earning reasonably
well and the Buxwaha diamond mine will
be responsible for them losing their livelihood. However, as per Niti Ayog
report in 2018, the per capita income of Chhatarpur District is INR 23,799,
about 39% lower than MP average at INR 33,038 and 56% lower than all India
average. Another important piece of data is the Human Development Index (HDI) where
Chhatarpur scores 31% as compared to Madhya Pradesh and all India average,
which is 64%. This might be baffling for someone who is looking to get to the
truth of the matter. But it depends on how rational the approach is – are those
who are looking for Buxwaha forest facts
going to rely on solid data and research or are they going to blindly trust a
narrative that is based on emotions? The important questions to ask are – where
is the data coming from and who is claiming it to be true?
When Will
Change Arrive in Chhatarpur?
India has made
progress in a lot of important areas, thanks to the enterprising individuals
and groups coming together to make a difference. Today, we can proudly say that
we are ‘Atma Nirbhar’ in many ways and our future looks bright, all thanks to
our hard work, commitment and passion. However, after 75 years of independence
and even after initiatives like Amrit Mahotsav, the lives of people near
Buxwaha Forest still revolve around mahua, tendu leaves and alcohol. This
contrast is a massive elephant in the room that we, as a society, need to address.
The iconic Indian
leader and the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had stressed the
importance of empowering villages because he believed that the heart of India
lies in the villages. His vision was to create self-reliant villages that are not
dependent on external help. In 2021, his words hold true more than ever.
When will the rural
go mainstream?
It is easy to only
look at people like us and think that we are progressing. When we are
surrounded by only privileged people, we tend to forget that there are many things
that we have taken for granted. However, when we look beyond the metros and
look at villages where people are struggling to make ends meet, we will realize
that social and economic development is the need of the hour there. And how do
we bring that? By creating employment and providing education.
The Buxwaha diamond mine has created a
holistic plan that includes imparting skill education to the people living near
the Buxwaha Forest. It is also creating employment opportunities that are a
dream for the villagers living there. Considering the project, the State Cabinet
gave their consent to establish an ITI in Buxwaha in July 2021.
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