Sarvahara Jan Andolan (SJA) is a organisation of the Katkari tribals and other oppressed people. SJA was formed in 1990 to fight for the rights of the Katkari tribals. Initial mobilisation took place on the issue of dali land - land on the hill slopes. This land has been wrongly classified as 'forest land' and the tribals labeled as encroaches. Our collective efforts at pressurising the government led to the restoration of this land to the tribals. Over the years, we have taken up other land issues, issues of land alienation, forest right issues, labour issues, atrocities against tribals, issue of agriculture and food security through systems like the Public Distribution System (PDS). In this process, we have been sucessful at building up the collective strength of the Katkari tribals and other oppressed sections.
Geography
We work in more than 750 villages in 7 talukas (Roha, Shrivardhan, Tala, Mhasla, Mangaon, Raigarh and Mahad) of Raigad District. The region is located in Western Ghats and is part of Konkan area of Maharashtra. It is 100 kms south of Mumbai and is cris-crossed by the Mumbai-Goa highway. The district of Raigad has a total area of 7148 sq. kms. Many of the villages are situated on hilly terrain. The region is part of the Konkan industrial belt starting from Mumbai and going south towards Goa.
Demographics
Raigad District has a total population of 22 lakhs out of which 76 percent is rural. The district has a sizable tribal population 12% and a small 3 percent of the total population is comprised of Dalits. The major concentration of tribal population is in Roha, Alibagh, Shrivardhan and Tala and that of Dalits is in Tala and Mangaon. The average sex ratio in the 7 blocks is 1113 and only the two blocks of Roha and Alibagh have an average sex ratio of 961 (still better that many states in India). Average literacy rate is 76 percent (67 percent in female) that is well above the national literacy rate. But, most of the dalit and tribal villagers associated with us are illiterate and have poor health facilities.
Economic and Political Profile
The area is part of the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The villagers are attracted to the urban lifestyle through their regular exposure to Goa and Mumbai. For those who haven't been to either of the two cities, they are exposed to tourists on a frequent basis. The coastal belt has a rich and influential Muslim population. The National Congress Party (NCP) has political stronghold.
The geographic location of the area has resulted in mixed economic opportunities. 39 percent of the population depends on agriculture for its living, 36 percent depend on work such as petty business, industrial labour or some job in adjoining cities and 23 percent on agricultural labour. The region witness a good rainfall of 2966 mm but land along the national highway is mushrooming with small scale industries and the we are struggling to sustain peoples control on natural livelihood resources like land and forest. Most of the areas are identified for setting up Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and now Special Economic Zones (SEZs) area also in pipeline. With this, the challenges like displacement and unemployment are on the rise.