Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Forest Rights Act- a quick memo first posted on Facebook

The latest on the Forest Rights Act:

I just saw bits of live footage online on DD, where the Central Ministry of Tribal Affairs seems to have just announced a Joint Circular with the Ministry of Env., Forests and Climate Change, to implement The Forest Rights Act.

This sudden penchant on the part of the BJP govt. to implement the Community Forest Rights aspect of the FRA creates some doubts in one's mind:

1. Will the Community Rights that the FRA envisages, be interpreted, by this government, to work against the individual rights of girls and single women?

2. Is there a Hindutva agenda behind the enthusiasm for Community Rights being displayed by the government?

3. Such great camaraderie between the Environment Ministry and Tribal Ministry (ceding ground to the wildlife sector), usually points towards the eventual gain of the Industrial Sector to the detriment of Biodiversity and Tribal Rights.

4. This Circular under the Act needs to be accessed and debated ASAP, Parliament needs to look into whether it is in keeping with the Act.

V. Shruti Devi
Indian National Congress Party
Advocate, Supreme Court of India
6th July, 2021

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