• UGI USER
  • Apr 18, 2024
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WHEN VOTER ID CARD SERVES AS A LICENCE TO MOVE ACROSS NAXAL ZONE OF INFLUENCE

Why in the  news?

Murias in Andhra Pradesh possess dual voter IDs from Chhattisgarh, navigating identity in conflict zones, influencing politics.

About Navigating Identity: Murias in Conflict Zones

  • Ravva Deve, a Muria tribal woman, fled conflict in Chhattisgarh to settle in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor Agency.
  • Over 6,200 Murias now reside in 54 Internal Displaced People (IDP) settlements in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Murias possess voter ID cards from both Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
  • They use these cards to establish identity while crossing state boundaries for various purposes like weekly shandies and family visits.
  • Some leaders suspect Murias’ ties to ancestral villages, leading to avoidance of their settlements during election campaigns.
  • Murias sometimes vote in Chhattisgarh elections, maintaining connections to their homeland.
source:slideserve
About Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)?

  • Forced to flee homes due to conflict, violence, human rights violations, or disasters.
  • Remain within their country’s borders.

Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs):

  • Retain all human rights as per international law.
  • Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) outline their rights and protections.

Key Rights and Protections:

  • Access to food, shelter, medical care, and freedom of movement.
  • Protection from discrimination, arbitrary displacement, and forced return to unsafe areas

Existing Legal Framework for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in India:

  • Categories: Natural disasters, development projects, violence/conflict.
  • Laws: Land Acquisition Act, 2013; Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • No specific law for conflict-induced displacement.
  • Rehabilitation managed by State governments with central support.
  • “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates” umbrella scheme, 7 sub-schemes, Rs 1,452 crore outlay (2021-2026).

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-naxal-challenge-to-electoral-process/article6781589.ece