Competing Concerns

There have been many layers of such injustices that have befallen the adivasis, like yet another blow of an axe on a tree. Following a commitment made in the UPA's Common Minimum Programme, the proposed Forest Rights Bill aims to give legal entitlements to forest land that the adivasis may have been cultivating before 1980 as well as forest rights such as grazing and access to minor forest produce. A unique feature of the bill will be that the rights of adivasis will come with responsibilities for conserving the forests and protection of wildlife. The bill also seeks to end the exploitative hold of the forest department over the adivasis by recognising the gram sabha as the authority to recognise and verify claims.