I. Elections, naxalism and developments in PMO on forests

Strange as it may seem, but these are related events. Here are a few issues and stories that can be explored:

(a) The relationship between naxalism and forests: In a review we did in 2001, we had found that naxalites controlled as much as 15 per cent of India's forests -- some of which were the most dense and rich forests of the country. It was also clear that even as naxalism started as a movement against land alienation, it has now become a movement against resource alienation, particularly in the context of forest resources. In large areas of forests controlled by naxalites, the state and forest administrations dare not enter and naxalites use the alienation of tribal people against forest laws to gain ground. What implications this has for forest management is very important to understand even as states like Jharkhand go to polls and Nepali Maoists fight for change in the Himalayan hills.

(b) In this connection, the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) is a major issue of controversy. The act, which stops all transfer of forests for development purposes, leads to problems for local communities as even schools and water-harvesting structures can be denied permission. FCA is contributing to the alienation of the local people and there is a demand from state governments to repeal the act. This is combined with actions taking place in the Union ministry of environment and forests and the Supreme Court regarding the eviction of tribals from forests as encroachers. This is a potential tinderbox. What is also important to track is that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked for a new law, called the Scheduled Tribes and Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forests Rights) Bill to settle some of these key issues and to see how the needs of livelihoods and land rights of poor communities can be balanced with the conservation imperatives. A committee has been set up under the Union ministry of tribal affairs to draft the legislation and we understand it will be completing its work by February 20.

Some key resource persons who can be contacted for information on these leads:

a. N K Joshi, director general of forests, Union ministry of environment and forests,
New Delhi,
Ph: 011-24361896, 24360726, E-mail: mosef@envfor.delhi.nic.in

b. Pradeep Prabhu, Kashtakari Sanghatna, Thane,
Ph: 02528-222760, 225176, E-mail: pradip_prabhu@yahoo.com (he is a prominent tribal rights activist and has raised issues against encroachment; he is also a member of the committee set up by the tribal affairs ministry)

c. Madhu Sarin, Chandigarh,
Ph: 0172-2741429, 2742417, 2740339, E-mail: msarin@satyam.net.in (she is an environment activist with a deep knowledge of forest management and people's rights issue, and is also a member of the committee)

d. M K Jiwrajka, member-secretary, Central Empowered Committee (CEC), Union ministry of environment and forests, New Delhi,
Ph: 011-24361297 (he can brief you regarding the issues in the Supreme Court on this matter)

Appeared in Media Alert 3, February 14, 2005