A protest to demand rights over forests

Their demands included granting community rights of the forest people, granting rights on non timber forest produce to the forest people and formation of the cooperatives of the forest people according to the September 2012 amendment of the Rules of the FRA

The protesters included forest dwellers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh

The All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), one of the largest unions of forest working dwellers, observed the eighth anniversary of Forest Rights Act, 2006, in New Delhi on Monday

Photos: Vikas Choudhary

The programme was addressed by various political and community leaders, along with members of various civil society organisations

Around 1,500 forest dwellers from various states of India gathered at Jantar Mantar, sending a loud and clear demand for the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act

The gatherers also demanded punishment to the multinationals and domestic companies, especially mining and power companies, that have been violating the Act. Scrutiny of big dams and super power projects by corporates such as Jaypee, Birla, Reliance, Lanco, Adani, Mittal, Tata, Essa was also on the agenda