The electoral outcome in nearly three in ten of India’s Parliamentary constituencies could be influenced by issues surrounding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, says an analysis by independent researchers.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA), officially known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a piece of legislation that enables tribal communities and forest-dwelling citizens to claim legal rights over the forest land they have occupied for generations but in many cases, denied a say or authority in its management or free access to forest produce.
It gives gram sabhas, or village councils, the right to decide on how best their forest land can be used. Any transfer of forest land for non-forestry use now requires their consent. However the implementation of the FRA has been controversial. While several have been granted titles under its provisions, hundreds of thousands of tribals have seen their claim to titles rejected. The FRA lays down criteria under which tribal inhabitants can claim title to their land. However, the exclusions it imposes, impediments by the forest bureaucracy, and provisions of other acts such as Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act has, in the eyes of analysts and researchers, posed hurdles to the proper implementation of the FRA.
