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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Tribals march against violation of Forest Act

Tribals march against violation of Forest Act

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published Published on Dec 16, 2012   modified Modified on Dec 16, 2012
-The Times of India

LUCKNOW: Hundreds of tribals, mostly womentook out a protest march from the Charbagh railway station to the dharna sthal in front of state assembly demanding implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006, which provides forest dwellers individual and community rights to hold and live on forest land and use its produce. The tribals, who had come to the city from across the state, said that the distribution of land titles to the forest dwellers has stopped after Samajwadi Partycame to the power in the state and warned that if their demands are not met within 30 days, they will forcibly occupy the land.

Armed with bows and arrows and carrying placard and banners, the tribals also held a public meeting at dharna sthal and one after another narrated the story of how the nexus of forest officials, police, administration, mining and forest mafia and feudal forces in the society are conspiring to deny forest dwellers rights given to them under the special Act. They said that ideally forest land in 19 districts of the state should have been distributed to the forest workers by now, but more than 70% of the work is still pending. At many places even the village committees to be formed as per the Act have not been formed.

Tribals also said that they are not allowed by the forest personnel to collect dry woods and grass from the forest for daily living. "They extort money and if we refuse, false cases of theft and poaching are slapped on us," said Sukano a tribal woman from Sonbhadra. Sukano has been implicated in more than dozen criminal cases. Besides men, almost all the women present on the occasion had criminal cases against them. The tribals also complained that their huts are demolished and they are beaten up by the mafia, backed by some forest police officials, when they try to stop illegal activities in the forest.

As per the Act, tribals living in forests before 2006 are eligible for titles of land up to four acre. The same right has been given to the forest workers dependent of forests for last 75 years. Officials figures disclose that from December 2007 till September 30, 2012 as many as 92,433 (91,298 individual and 1,135 community) claims were filed against which 17,705 land titles were distributed (16,891 individual and 814 community) in UP. Around 73,028 (72,754 individual and 274 community) claims were rejected. Most rejections are because illiterate forest dwellers do not have documents to prove 75 years of dependence.

The forest dwellers are struggling since long and the movement is being run by the women. At many places in tribal dominated districts in east UP, tribal women, under the banner of Kaimur Khshetra Mahila Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and National Forum of Forest People and Forest workers, have occupied forest land and are doing cooperative farming. But harassment has not stopped. Now, they want change in the 75 year clause and action against officers for rejecting genuine claims. The protestors also requested chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to give an appointment to their delegation for an audience.

The protestors pointed out that districts where implementation of the Act is very poor include Chandauli, Mirzapur, Khiri, Pilibhit, Bahraich, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Gonda, Lalitpur, Manikpur Chitrakoot and Saharanpur among others.

The Times of India, 16 December, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tribals-march-against-violation-of-Forest-Act/articleshow/17633002.cms


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