Activists from the Dooars to the Sundarbans call for implementation of FRA in its true spirit, among other demands
Delegates at the event. Photo: Mrinalini Paul Hundreds of Adivasis and other traditional forest dwellers descended on Kolkata from nine districts of West Bengal on March 6 to voice their concerns regarding the dismal condition of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, (FRA). They also pledged their vote in the upcoming general election to only those who promised a change to the status quo.
March 6 was also when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the metropolis. However, veteran activist Soumitra Ghosh stated during the programme that while the mobilisation and discussion was not directed against or for any political party, it was definitely political in nature.
The resonating message throughout the programme, which is to be taken up for further action as well, was ‘Gram Sabha er shotru jara, Loksabha theke tader tarao’ (Chase away those in the Lok Sabha who are the enemies of the Gram Sabha).
The programme had a rich and diverse line-up of speakers, interspersed with lively dances of Rabha, Bodo and Santhali culture as well as the popular ‘gaon chodab nahi jungle chodab nahi’ (We won’t let go of our villages and forests) by a group of students from a city college.
The speakers included social activists and leaders from the states of Chhattisgarh such as Alok Shukla, who talked about the victorious though ongoing struggle in the Hasdeo forest and Seemanchal from Maharashtra who talked about their work in the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve.
Read To track a tigress: How officials in Chhattisgarh’s Achanakmar are trying to recover big cat numbers
Representatives from north Bengal’s forest villages shared how the state government had ridiculed FRA by issuing titles which had the names of the Forest Department (FD) or the Joint Forest Management Committee in place of the title holder’s name.
Further, the conversion of forest villages to revenue villages has been provided for in FRA. But the state government has bypassed this and simply gone ahead with this crucial exercise, arbitrarily.
Lal Singh Bhugel of the Uttar Banga Van Jan Sramjibi Manch organisation, pointed to the fact that while the amended Forest Conservation Act 2023 has already been taken up by the government, the 17-year-old FRA still remains elusive.
This was reiterated through different cases shared by those present, while each strongly emphasised the urgent need to unite these different scattered struggles and movements.
Basanti Sardar, a young Munda girl from the small island of Kumirmari in the Sundarbans, sang a self-composed song expressing the vulnerable condition of her people who lost whatever little land they would cultivate to the Bengali community. The composition also described how the forests remain largely inaccessible due to the FD’s growing restrictions and fear of tigers.
Those working in the Sundarbans further shared that in spite of concerted efforts to recognise FRA in this fragile ecosystem, the administration has taken no step.
Sushil Murmu from Deaucha Pachami in Birbhum, home to the largest coal block in India, expressed anguish at how the government has already begun work without taking into account any of the local opposition.
He added that apart from the large-scale environmental damage that this extraction will cause, there is the fear of rising silicosis cases. It is a disease with no easy diagnosis or remedy available.
Read Ajodhya villagers, forest dwellers stop Bengal govt project at court for now
Nakul Chandra Baskey, from Ajodhaya hills in Purulia, shared the ongoing struggle against the proposed Turga Pumped Storage Power Project which will lead to submergence of the communities’ sites of worship, besides livelihood losses. In all these cases, the Gram Sabhas are playing an instrumental role.
The gathering expressed disappointment at different governments’ strategies to supress Adivasi and forest communities’ rights. But many speakers pointed out that this was not new.
For instance, the Jungle Mahals especially had witnessed a history of conflict over jal jungal zameen, the earliest movements against British colonial forces.
Read Republic Day 2022: Looking back at Anglo-tribal encounters in colonial India
This spirit of resilience and struggle, perseverance and preservation of natural resources and identities can be kept alive and made tangible through the institution of the Gram Sabha, they added.
The meaningful presence of women in these movements was self-evident through the two co-hosts — Sulekha Mandi and Bishukha Rabha — from the south and north of Bengal respectively.
They shared their personal experiences of being part of their village Gram Sabhas and larger meetings and motivated the women in the crowd to not restrict themselves to going to the forests but also taking decisions about it.
The major demands which were discussed prior to this meeting and reinforced for further awareness and action, consist of:
1. Implementation of FRA 2006 in its true spirit.
2. Cancellation of the Amendment of the Forest Conservation Act 2023.
3. Guaranteeing the safety and conservation of all natural resources.
4. Stopping any sort of forest encroachment or government work which does not take into consideration the Gram Sabha’s rights and approval.
5. Strict punishment for all government workers who do not cooperate in the process of Gram Sabha formation and functioning.
The programme ended with the unanimous passing of a resolution floated to form a state-level platform for all Gram Sabhas to unite under. The name and functionalities of this body will be decided in upcoming meetings.
The West Bengal government, through different notifications and administrative actions, has repeatedly denied the definition of the Gram Sabha as per the FRA 2006.
It has, at the same time, maintained that the Gram Sansad will be treated as the Gram Sabha for the implementation of FRA.
A Gram Sansad consists of all voters in an electoral constituency as per the West Bengal Panchayat Amendment Act. It might spread over more than a single village, especially in the case of tribal hamlets and forest villages.
This serves as a further blow to an already ignored FRA, as the Gram Sabha is the fundamental institutional base for democratic forest governance and tenure security. Supen Hembram, an active member of Prakriti Bachao Adivasi Bachao Maanch, quipped that instead of the state government’s massively publicised flagship programme of service delivery — Duare Sarkar (government at the doorstep), they should recognise the gram er sarkar, which translates into the Gram Sabha.
As per the latest monthly progress report available on the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) , which is the implementing agency for FRA, West Bengal stands at the penultimate position with 686 community forest resource rights and 44,444 individual forest rights being distributed, till the period ending December 12, 2023.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.