Citizens for Justice and Peace
What is the Forest Rights Act 2006 and how are we defending it FRA 2006
13-Sep-2019
Why was Forest Rights Act 2006 enacted? Why do Adivasis say they got Independence only in 2006? What were the gross injustices that the Adivasis and traditional forest dwellers bore for centuries? Is their any hope for a better future for them? Is the Government trying to get away with the human rights violations they…
Wildlife Conservation group Wildlife Trust of India withdraws challenge to FRA, 2006 Withdrawal a vindication of Adivasis’ claims of a symbiotic relationship with Forests
12-Sep-2019
In a significant step, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), India’s foremost nature conservation organisation, has withdrawn from the array of parties who filed a petition in Supreme Court as long back as in 2008 challenging the constitutional validity of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights), Act 2006 (FRA, 2006).…
Breaking: All Intervention Applications defending FRA, 2006 admitted by SC HRDs Sokalo Gond and Nivada Rana’s IA backed by CJP and AIUFWP also admitted, interveners to file written submissions
12-Sep-2019
In a major breakthrough for Adivasi organisations and advocates of rights of forest dwelling communities, the Supreme Court of India has admitted all the 19 intervention applications that had been filed before it urging it to stop the eviction of millions of forest dwellers. Filed by different sets of directly concerned individuals and organisations, all…
Maha gov’t blames DLCs for “unlawfully” rejecting Adivasis’ claims Says close examination of rejected cases has been “insightful”
12-Sep-2019
The state of Maharashtra has held the District Level Committees (DLCs), part of its own bureaucracy, accountable for “unlawfully rejecting the land claims” of lakhs of Adivasis and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) as reported by Huffingtonpost on September 11. The DLCs comprise officers from Revenue, Forest and Tribal Affairs departments and three nominated members from…
Tharu Adivasis submit rebuttal against rejected land claims: Dudhwa National Park Forest dwellers had submitted community forest rights claims in 2013
11-Sep-2019
Adivasis and forest dwellers of a village in Dudhwa National Park offer a point by point rebuttal to the fallacious claims of the Forest Department submitted as “grounds” to reject community forest rights claims (CFR). The villagers had submitted the claims as long back as in 2013. On July 31, 2013, forest dwellers from 17…
10 must read books about Adivasis and Forest Rights A curated list of some of the best books to understand the bond between forests and their inhabitants
10-Sep-2019
With growing conversation around forest rights, we need to understand how India’s Adivasis and forest dwellers have played a key role in protecting forest cover and biodiversity. It is also important to examine their culture and history of living in harmony with nature and see for oneself how their existence is symbiotic with the forests…
No due process or formal communication to land claimants: MP govt State admits to flaws in rejecting land claims, launches Vanmitra app to address bureaucratic lacunae
09-Sep-2019
In a compliance affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in an on-going litigation by Wildlife First, challenging the constitutional validity of the law, Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), the Madhya Pradesh (MP) government acknowledged the historical injustices and the marginalized nature of tribal communities and Other Traditional…
No procedure of eviction under FRA 2006: Chhattisgarh gov’t Analysis of state gov't affidavit submitted to SC
04-Sep-2019
In a crucial intervention in the on-going litigation by Wildlife First challenging the constitutional validity of the law, Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, the Chhattisgarh state, in its affidavit filed in July 2019, not only recognises the lapses in recognition of forest rights, but also suggests the way forward. In its affidavit filed as a…
Forest Dwellers have no support from Gov’t in filing Land Claims: Roma CJP Secy Teesta Setalvad and AIUFWP Dy Gen. Secy Roma explore the complicated process of filing community forest rights claims and other related issues
04-Sep-2019
In the second part of an exclusive conversation with CJP Secretary Teesta Setalvad, the deputy general secretary of All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) Roma Malik highlights the complex and tedious process of filing claims under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Under the Act,…
Rajkumari of Dhuma: Fighting for her rights with a song on her lips Human Rights Defender
21-Aug-2019
“Our struggle is neither against the dam nor against the brokers; we are demanding our rights. We are demanding our land” says Rajkumari, a fiery activist of the Kaimur Kisan Andolan, which is part of the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP). Rajkumari Bhuiya from Dhuma has grown into an immutable voice who…