The consequences of development induced displacement is so tragic & painful for the poor tribal women & children leading many to chronic illness & poverty. Pushing children for child labor to meet the family basic needs & income. Further leading to chronic illness, morbidity, unskilled, illiteracy and trauma...

1. Impact of Displacement on Tribal Children:
Cases of Child Labour and
Abuse in Odisha
Inter-Congress of International Union of Anthropological and
Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) 2012, KIITs Bhubaneswar,
26th – 30th November 2012
Madhulika Sahoo
Senior Research Fellow
Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture
Govt. of India, Central Regional Centre, Nagpur

2. Displacement & children labour
• All feel the impact of the consequent
impoverishment but women and children feel it
more than the others do. The lower the social
stratum they belong to, the greater the impact. It
takes the form of higher joblessness, greater
malnutrition and deterioration in their social status.
Its first impact is seen in children’s lower access to
schools since most DP/PAPs are subalterns
(Farnandes 2007)
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines
child labour in mining as the ‘worst form of child
Labour’

3. In Orissa district like Keonjhar, Koraput, Rayagada and Sunadargarh where displacement due
to mining is rampant has affected children’s, studies revealed that in Kenonjhar total 13,171,
Koraput total 23,903, Rayagada total 16,893 and Sundargarh total 19,537 child labour cases
has been reported (sources: children & mining report 2010)

4. Study by Campaign Against Child Labour
(CACL) in 2001 on child domestic workers
of Odisha, reveals that lack of regular
income by the head of the family those
who are mostly belong to daily-wage
earners or small cultivators categories &
fathers addicted to liquors was a major
reason for the incidence of child labour.

5. Direct and Indirect Impacts of Mining induced
displaced Children
• Increased morbidity and illnesses
• Lack of education & health leading many to join
labor force, ended up unskilled & illiterate in life
• The laws do not address needs & rights of children
• Increase food insecurity
and malnutrition
• Increased vulnerability to
exploitation and abuse
• Violation of right to
education

6. • Increase of child labour & exploitation Increase Poverty
force to work in tea stall, small hotels, houses
• Marginalization of dalit & adivasi children
• Sundergarh and Keonjhar district, which has a serious
problem in terms of trafficking
• Missing friends & similar environment
Photo Sources- (Kasipur, child labor) children & mining in India, 2010

7. Consequences
• No regeneration of forest or similar living
setup for the displaced
• No special provision for women & children in
post displacement situation
• The misinterpretation of resettlement &
rehabilitation, leading to one time
resettlement without rehabilitation
• Larger impact on children health, education,
food intake, psychology etc.

8. Thank You