In an effort to wean away tribals from the Maoists, the Environment Ministry is pushing for a minimum support price for minor forest produce like bamboo and tendu patta. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is taking up the matter with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee . A minimum support price (MSP) for minor forest produce (MFP) would help increase the earnings of the tribal population. At present, the more valuable items of minor forest...
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New laws for old: Forest rights and red-tape wrongs by Shankar Gopalakrishnan
It is a little known fact that in roughly a fifth of our country’s land area, a different legal system operates. In some of these places, if you are caught with certain items, it is up to you to prove that you are innocent of a crime — and whether you go to jail depends on whether a government official kept proper records years earlier. If you are using some...
More »Hundreds of Adivasis march into Mumbai
Seventy-five-year-old Tukaram Vithal Gholap has walked for over three days from his village in Murbad (Thane district) to demand land rights. “I have fines from the Forest Department since 1969, which means I used to cultivate that land since then,” he said. Yet the Forest Department, which measured his land, confirmed only 29 gunthas (less than one acre), whereas he staked claim for about six acres. A tired Tukaram marched with...
More »PPSS leaders reiterate resolve not to leave land for Posco project
Despite poor participation of local villagers in the anti-Posco rally organized by Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) at Balitutha, the entry point to the Posco project site near Paradip, the PPSS leaders today reiterated their resolve not to hand over 2900 acres forest land to the South Korean company for its steel project. The PPSS rally particularly turned into a damp squib as four MPs of West Bengal, who had earlier...
More »More demands granted, but Adivasis march on by Amruta Byatnal
For the 6,000 people marching to Mumbai from the forest villages of Jalgaon and Nandurbar demanding their rights over forest land, there is some hope. Maharashtra Minister of State for Tribal Development Rajendra Gavit visited the protesters in Kasara taluka near Nashik on Friday and agreed to concede some of the demands raised by the Adivasis. Mr. Gavit went as a representative of Chief Minsiter Prithviraj Chavan, who on Thursday promised...
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