The implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has created controversy in West Bengal. The gram sabha, the basic unit in the process of forest rights recognition, has been replaced by the gram sansad, denoting the village level constituency under the panchayati raj system. This has been followed by contiguous arrangements as well as initiatives which are inconsistent with the Act....

Three tribal villages in Manipur's Ukhrul district are facing starvation due to their being cut off from other parts of the State since the July 29 landslip between Chingai and Quingai. The situation worsened after another landslip on August 15. In addition, the washing away by a flash flood of the wooden bridge over the Rondei river connecting these villages with the rest of the district has greatly impeded transportation. tribals told The...

In a bid to increase employment and integrate locals with the administration, especially in naxal-hit areas, tribal people with some basic education could soon be hired as community forest officers on a seasonal basis. If the original proposal is approved, the Chhattisgarh forest department alone will get an additional workforce of 1.2 lakh people at the annual cost of Rs. 450 crore. Speaking at a national conference on reforms in forestry administration...

Jharkhand’s implementation of the Centre’s flagship scheme to grant land rights to forest dwellers has been extremely poor, ringing hollow promises by successive governments to uphold rights of over three lakh tribals of the state. According to a report prepared by a 19-member committee constituted by the Union ministry of environment and forests, 24 districts of Jharkhand had granted land rights to a mere 7,207 forest dwellers under Scheduled Tribes and...

Two more tribal women have been stripped and forced to parade naked in front of large crowds in the Indian state of West Bengal, police say. The incidents were in the same area - the Birbhum district - where a similar case took place four months ago. Locals say that the women were being punished for "having close relations" with men from other communities. Birbhum police spokesman Humayun Kabir told the BBC that...