Here are different perspectives on what the Supreme Court hearing on the fate of “encroachers” may mean for all those who dwell in and outside forests
Forest Rights Act: A litmus test for govt to protect forest dwellers
It is now the turn of the BJP-led central government, which won 38 out of 48 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes across the country, to stand by its promises. Here's the full story
Revisiting the tigers vs tribals trope
Instead of rejecting forest dwellers rights over land to conserve wildlife, a sincere and responsible implementation of FRA must be sought. Read more
How the conservation potential of FRA has been wilfully undermined
The environment ministry hasn’t quite understood and accepted the FRA nor has it shown the required urgency to formulate plans for establishing critical wildlife habitats, which are consistent with the FRA's provisions. Continue reading
Wanted: Better governance models for India’s forests
While the Forest Rights Act empowered Gram Sabhas to manage and conserve forests, the Joint Forest Management mechanism could not succeed due to the involvement of forest officials. Click here to read more
Odisha on FRA claims: No time to collect evidence, no hearing, just rejection
At least 45,000 forest dwellers’ livelihood is at risk, but the state doesn’t seem to have followed the process of appealing against rejection of claims. Continue reading
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