Sri Murlianti, Purwaningsih Purwaningsih, Aji Qamara Dewi Hakim, Henni Sriani, Nia Annisyatul Khusna, Charles Tabilangi

Social Reconfiguration and Marginalization of Farmers in Transmigrant Village in the Context of Coal Industrialization in Tenggarong Seberang, East Kalimantan

Introduction

Social reconfiguration and marginalization of farmers in transmigrant village in the context of coal industrialization in tenggarong seberang, east kalimantan. Explore social reconfiguration & marginalization of transmigrant farmers in Tenggarong Seberang, East Kalimantan, due to coal industrialization, shifting from dominant to vulnerable.

Abstract

The extractive political economy chosen by the New Oder since the beginning of its rule has transformed natural resource-rich areas in Indonesia into areas at the heart of global capitalism. In the past, extractive politics began by opening the tap for foreign capital to exploit forests, converting scrubland into monoculture plantations and exploiting coal deposits. At the same time, colonial demographic politics were revived to open up major extractive areas, transforming scrubland from former HPH concessions into agricultural areas, alongside coal mining exploration. Tenggarong Seberang District, East Kalimantan has experienced social reconfiguration many times, from an area with a subsistence production model to a major coal extractive area in Kutai Kartanegara Regency. This article describes how Manunggal Jaya Village, which was previously managed by the local farming community, became a center for transmigrant settlements that successfully transformed the village into a center for Kutai rice farming during the New Order era; and drastically changed into a center for supporting services for the multinational mining industry after regional autonomy. The research was conducted for 2 months involving 3 researchers, 2 research assistants throughout August-October 2024. Primary data was collected through observation and in-depth interviews with 10 key informants. The results of the study found a social reconfiguration of the position and role of transmigrant farmers in Tenggarong Seberang. Transmigrants came from poor areas in East Java, became the dominant social class throughout the 1980s-90s, changed drastically into the most vulnerable marginal class entering the mid-2000s. Agricultural land conversion to mining sites, reduced government support; pressures from companies, village bureaucrats, and land brokers have placed significant burdens on farmers. They face water scarcity, land degradation, pollution, new pests, and psychological stress; discouraging younger generations from farming and leaving remaining farmers to struggle under these challenges.

Review

This paper presents a timely and critical examination of the profound social transformations experienced by transmigrant farming communities in Tenggarong Seberang, East Kalimantan, a region significantly impacted by Indonesia's extractive political economy. Focusing on Manunggal Jaya Village, the study meticulously traces its evolution from a subsistence farming area, then a successful center for rice cultivation under the New Order's transmigration policies, to its current state as a hub for supporting the multinational mining industry following regional autonomy. The abstract clearly articulates the central argument: the systematic marginalization and social reconfiguration of farmers, underscoring a vital intersection of historical policy, global capitalism, and local livelihoods. The research employs a qualitative methodology, conducting observations and in-depth interviews with 10 key informants over a two-month period (August-October 2024). This approach is well-suited to uncover the nuanced experiences and structural pressures faced by the transmigrant farmers, who are shown to have transitioned from a dominant social class in the 1980s-90s to a highly vulnerable one by the mid-2000s. The abstract effectively highlights the multi-faceted drivers of this marginalization, including agricultural land conversion, diminished government support, and significant pressures from companies, village bureaucrats, and land brokers. The resulting environmental degradation—water scarcity, land degradation, pollution, and new pests—coupled with psychological stress and the discouragement of younger generations from farming, represents a compelling and deeply concerning set of findings. While the abstract provides a clear overview of the research design and compelling results, a full paper would benefit from further elucidation on the specific mechanisms through which government support was reduced and the precise nature of the pressures exerted by various actors. The research period described (August-October 2024) suggests this might be a forthcoming study, and for a finished paper, such dates would ideally reflect completed fieldwork. Nonetheless, this study promises a significant contribution to understanding the human cost of resource extraction and industrialization, particularly in the context of transmigration and agrarian change in Southeast Asia. Its findings offer crucial insights into the vulnerability of local communities caught in the crosscurrents of global economic forces and local governance challenges, making it an important addition to the literature on political ecology and development studies.

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