Page 165 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Unit 8: Role of Attitude and Persuasion

Notes
Meanwhile landowners, in most cases the poor farmers, continue to use their sold land as
before and being unable to utilize money properly end up in this intervening period
getting dependent on the produce from this land which was sold to Government. When
the project does start these poor villagers find it as a direct attack on their livelihood. This
results into a conflict of interests and for survival as far as villagers are concerned.
This case refers to one such event. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, in Kumaon Hills (present
day Uttrakhand), Government decided to set up an engineering college. The land had
been procured in 1982 for this project from local villagers. But since construction activity
did not start immediately, the villagers continued their farming activities and utilisation
of this land. In year 1985, the foundation stone was laid with great pomp and show. The
poor farmers did not understand much as to what will come up there and how would it
benefit them in future but yes, they were made to feel proud of the achievement for the
region.
As time passed by, they continued with their routine existence. Soon, in 1988, the
construction work started. This gave employment to many villagers as daily wagers.
They so far liked the project as it supplemented their incomes. The construction work of
first phase was complete by 1990. This was followed by recruitment of staff and
establishment of facilities so as to take in students and start courses.
In academic year of 1991, first batch of students was inducted. As they arrived, villagers
noticed there were few from hill region from Kumaon but majority came from plains/
mainland. These villagers had never had the experience of interacting or seeing so many
plainwallahs (people from mainland). These students belonged to different districts within
UP; most were from big cities, so it was a foreign cultural setting for them. Similarly,
villagers found them not conforming to their cultural setting. Local politicians, eager to
encash this dislike and the loss of the livelihood brought about to farmers by opening of
this college, instigated farmers. Thus, started a series of frequent demonstrations. Its
timing was perfectly matched with hill peoples’ demand for separate state. It made task of
education difficult at this new engineering college and administration found itself in a fix.
At the time when need of the hour was to focus on evolving and establishing academic set
up all attention got diverted into sustaining daily activities. For six-months, State
Government’s Technical Education Directorate shifted all students to another state run
Engineering College at Lucknow. Meanwhile, some settlement of dispute had to be done.
Negotiation

The case of Engineering College, being threatened for survival by local population soon
after inception, has following options to consider before administration engages in
negotiation with local people:
1. To employ a certain percentage of suitable people from the families of those
displaced.

2. To have such programmes at College which help local population directly, thus
establishing a bond of mutual benefit.
3. To increase the quota of hill students being admitted for the college. Thus, student
community would get the flavour of local representation.
4. To provide adequate security personnel on permanent basis to the engineering
college.

5. A clear warning to local leaders informing them of legality of case where farmers
have no right on this land once having sold it willingly.

Contd....

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