TRIBALS, FOREST DWELLERS CALL INDEFINITE PROTEST
Forest Rights Dharna in Delhi To Begin From 23rd November (Friday)
In the UPA government's Common Minimum Programme, the coalition
government committed that it would protect the rights of tribals and
forest dwellers.
That commitment has been totally and utterly betrayed.
With every passing day there is more violence and repression in forest
areas. Mine after mine is cleared and forest after forest
destroyed. Meanwhile, despite more than eleven months having been
passed, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has yet to be notified.
This law is the biggest step forward for forest communities in
India's history. But at every stage,
THE UPA GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO RENDER IT TOOTHLESS.
While the law is held up because it will "harm wildlife," forest
destruction is accelerating at a great pace. In the months since
this law was passed, people continue to face evictions and inhuman
violence across forest areas. Neither forests nor
people are on
this government's agenda.
On Friday, November 23rd, hundreds of tribals and forest dwellers will
begin a dharna at Jantar Mantar. The demands will be:
- Notify the Act into force and halt evictions of forest
communities immediately
- Recognise all genuine forest communities and exclude exploitative
elements
- Halt the hasty process of identifying critical wildlife habitats,
which will harm both wildlife and people in those areas
- Make the recognition of rights legally clear – our rights
should
not be taken away by legal manipulation
- Empower our communities to defend and protect the forests against
mafias, the government and companies
- Ensure the authority and effectiveness of the real gram sabhas of
our communities in determining rights
- Stop the militarisation and seizure of our lands, and bring all
adivasi areas under the Vth Schedule
Bharat Jan Andolan, National Front for Tribal Self Rule, Jangal
Adhikar
Sangharsh Samiti (Mah), Adivasi Mahasabha (Guj), Adivasi Jangal
Janjeevan Andolan (D&NH), Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan (Raj), Madhya
Pradesh Van Adhikar Abhiyan (MP), Jan Shakti Sanghatan (Chat), Peoples
Alliance for Livelihood Rights, Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Orissa Jan
Sangharsh Morcha, Campaign for Survival & Dignity (Ori), Orissa
Adivasi Manch, Orissa Jan Adhikar Morcha, Adivasi Aikya Vedike (AP),
Campaign for Survival and Dignity- TN, Bharat Jan Andolan (Jhar).