ADIVASI Adhikar Rashtriya Manch, All India Kisan Sabha and All India Agricultural Workers’ Union along with different organisations across India representing forest dwelling communities and people’s movements converged at Jantar Mantar on December 15 to mark 10 years of the enactment of the Scheduled Tribe and other Forest Dwellers, Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Jitendra Chowdhary, MP and leader of AARM, Hannan Mollah, general secretary of AIKS, NK Shukla, joint secretary of AIKS, Suneet Chopra, joint secretary of AIAWU and Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of CPI(M) addressed the rally. The programme was also addressed by Ashok Chaudhary and Roma (AIUFWP), Dayamani Barla (Adivasi, Moolnivaasi, Astitva Raksha Manch), Prafulla Samantray (Lok Shakti Abhiyan – NAPM), Manorama (Posco movement), Jai Karan Dayal (AIKKMS), Krishna Rao (Adivasi Aikya Vedika), Dr Sheikh Gulaam Rasool (J&K RTI movement), Matadayal (AIUFWP), Varsha Bai, Ram Chandra Rana (AIUFWP), Vimal Bhai (Matujan Sanghathan) and Sunilam (NAPM) among others.  

Jitendra Choudhary explained the betrayal of the adivasi people and the traditional forest dwellers and mentioned that of the over 43 lakh applications under FRA, only around 17 lakh had been considered. He also spoke about the effective implementation of the FRA in Tripura. Speaking at the rally, Brinda Karat said “Within two months of coming to power, the Modi government facilitated the transfer of 7,000 hectares of forest land to mining and other companies. In the last two years, over 1,00,000 hectares of land has been handed over to companies with utter disregard for due procedures. This was while the government makes no attempt to amend the requirement from forest dependent communities to produce residential proof for 75 years to stake claim to their own land.” Hannan Mollah, NK Shukla and Suneet Chopra also spoke about the increasing attacks on adivasis as well as other forest dwellers and exposed the corporate loot of land, forest, water and mineral resources. The speakers launched a scathing attack against the distressing lack of political commitment from the governments at the states and centre regarding FRA implementation and denounced the ongoing efforts to dilute this significant and progressive law by reducing the authority of the gram sabhas in favour of corporate interests. It was resolved to resist these attacks in a united manner and also have massive protests against the Modi made demonetisation crisis.  

The ministry of tribal affairs in its guidelines to the state and UT governments, dated July 12, 2012 has noted the lack of implementation of FRA in no uncertain terms. However, no actions are forthcoming from the ministry towards addressing this condition.  Such an apathetic response 10 years after FRA was passed by the parliament is deeply condemned by people’s movements from across the country under the banner of Bhumi Adhikaar Andolan (BAA).  

In its eight-point charter of demands, BAA has called for the immediate constitution of a nation-wide review and monitoring committee for implementation. This committee is to investigate the high percentage of rejection of claims, undue delay in settlement of individual and community claims and coerced eviction of forest dwelling communities. BAA also made demands for complete verification of illegal forest committees and immediate settlement of community rights claims over non-timbre forest produce (NTFP), along with stopping all diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.

A delegation of representatives from BAA met and submitted a resolution with their demands to Jual Oram, minister of tribal affairs and demanded swift remedial action.