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Decisions For Environment: Tribal Communities Know More Than Babus

Decisions For Environment: Tribal Communities Know More Than Babus

When it comes to making decisions related to the environment, babus are given preference over tribal communities, even though the latter are better at looking at the environment t than the former.

According to Niti Aayog’s report, ‘Composite Water Management Index,  2018’, 60 crore people in the country are facing “high to higher” levels of water shortage. Due to the lack of clean drinking water, two lakh people die every year. Further, the report stated that 54 per cent of India’s groundwater sources and wells are drying up and groundwater is expected to perish in 21 major cities by 2020. All across the country, around 11 States are already reeling under water disputes. Take, for example, the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the Narmada water dispute.

Topping it all, Delhi’s air is not at safe to breathe. Besides, 26 States believe that desertification is growing at a fast pace. Approximately 30 percent of the country has come under the scope of desertification where dust storms are rising at an alarming rate. Forests are being wiped out in the name of development and industrialisation. Not to forget, our rivers, forests and mountains are constantly being wiped out for economic development, even as Government policies are not up to the mark and will surely take us towards death.

It’s almost since ancient times that the tribal community have played a major role in forest conservation. It is a pity that they have been left out of the mix. Of course, laws are being formulated but we are certainly churning out our responsibilities. The question that then arises are many: Is it possible to preserve our environment/biodiversity by boycotting the tribal society? What is the purpose of the Indian Forest Law of 1927? Why was the Wildlife Protection Act enacted in 1972? And what was the motive behind creating the Environment Protection Act, 1976?

Further, who destroyed the forests and why? Who killed the cheetahs? Who is responsible for tigers reaching the brink of extinction? Hunting was a form of entertainment for the Rajas (kings), Diwans (Kings Ministers) and Zamindars (landlords). On the walls of their palaces hung trophies of tigers, cheetahs, leopards and antelopes. The communities living in the tribal belts or jungles are not the only ones to hunt for animals as a hobby. In view of  protecting the social, economic and cultural rights of the tribals and other forest dwellers across the country, the Parliament formulated the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

This statute says that individual and community rights of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers who cultivate by acquiring first forest land before December 2005 will be recognised. The law says that during the colonial era and while integrating State forests in independent India, forest rights and their habitat were not adequately recognised on their ancestral land, resulting in those tribes and other residents living in the forest. Historically, injustice has been done to forest dwellers, who are integral to saving and maintaining forest ecosystems.

But the experience of 12 years of implementation of this law suggests that the State system has not felt the sentiments of this confession made in the law; rather it has wandered from the goal. This statute gives the right to use and conserve community forest resources to the Gram Sabha, ie the direct role of the community. At the same time, there is a provision in this also that the Gram Sabha has the right to set up a committee for conservation of wildlife, forests and biodiversity and take its responsibility.

On September 22, 2015, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the chief secretaries of all States and had stressed that there is a need to run a campaign to recognise community forest rights. Although, the process of recognising individual rights has succeeded to some extent, but this process on community forest resource rights is weak. These rights are very important because these resources play an important role in securing the lives and livelihoods of 20 million forest based communities.

Forest Rights Law explains the Residential Rights (Habitat Rights, which means, not only the right to housing, but also the right to a holistic environment). On April 23, 2015, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Government of India) told all the State Governments that they should be used for residential rights of the most vulnerable tribal communities (traditional housing, livelihoods, social, economic, spiritual, sacred, religious and other works), and to make extensive efforts to recognise it. It is important to mention that the traditional tribal communities have been creating their own system in their respective realm. It is the responsibility of the state to preserve its surroundings.

The forest department established by the British Government in India believed that tribal communities only suffer the loss of forests, biodiversity and wildlife. They were not ready to accept the fact that the Vanvasi community had been living on the principle of ‘coexistence’ with the forest, within the forests for thousands of years. It is a good feeling for the community that destruction of natural resources means destruction of their own. They have been monitoring the forest like it is their God. Why would such a society destroy the environment? We all know that the list of the richest ten thousand people in the world will probably not be the name of one of the tribal families!

(Courtesy: Charkha Features)

Writer: Sachin Kumar Jain

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Decisions For Environment: Tribal Communities Know More Than Babus

Decisions For Environment: Tribal Communities Know More Than Babus

When it comes to making decisions related to the environment, babus are given preference over tribal communities, even though the latter are better at looking at the environment t than the former.

According to Niti Aayog’s report, ‘Composite Water Management Index,  2018’, 60 crore people in the country are facing “high to higher” levels of water shortage. Due to the lack of clean drinking water, two lakh people die every year. Further, the report stated that 54 per cent of India’s groundwater sources and wells are drying up and groundwater is expected to perish in 21 major cities by 2020. All across the country, around 11 States are already reeling under water disputes. Take, for example, the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the Narmada water dispute.

Topping it all, Delhi’s air is not at safe to breathe. Besides, 26 States believe that desertification is growing at a fast pace. Approximately 30 percent of the country has come under the scope of desertification where dust storms are rising at an alarming rate. Forests are being wiped out in the name of development and industrialisation. Not to forget, our rivers, forests and mountains are constantly being wiped out for economic development, even as Government policies are not up to the mark and will surely take us towards death.

It’s almost since ancient times that the tribal community have played a major role in forest conservation. It is a pity that they have been left out of the mix. Of course, laws are being formulated but we are certainly churning out our responsibilities. The question that then arises are many: Is it possible to preserve our environment/biodiversity by boycotting the tribal society? What is the purpose of the Indian Forest Law of 1927? Why was the Wildlife Protection Act enacted in 1972? And what was the motive behind creating the Environment Protection Act, 1976?

Further, who destroyed the forests and why? Who killed the cheetahs? Who is responsible for tigers reaching the brink of extinction? Hunting was a form of entertainment for the Rajas (kings), Diwans (Kings Ministers) and Zamindars (landlords). On the walls of their palaces hung trophies of tigers, cheetahs, leopards and antelopes. The communities living in the tribal belts or jungles are not the only ones to hunt for animals as a hobby. In view of  protecting the social, economic and cultural rights of the tribals and other forest dwellers across the country, the Parliament formulated the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

This statute says that individual and community rights of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers who cultivate by acquiring first forest land before December 2005 will be recognised. The law says that during the colonial era and while integrating State forests in independent India, forest rights and their habitat were not adequately recognised on their ancestral land, resulting in those tribes and other residents living in the forest. Historically, injustice has been done to forest dwellers, who are integral to saving and maintaining forest ecosystems.

But the experience of 12 years of implementation of this law suggests that the State system has not felt the sentiments of this confession made in the law; rather it has wandered from the goal. This statute gives the right to use and conserve community forest resources to the Gram Sabha, ie the direct role of the community. At the same time, there is a provision in this also that the Gram Sabha has the right to set up a committee for conservation of wildlife, forests and biodiversity and take its responsibility.

On September 22, 2015, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the chief secretaries of all States and had stressed that there is a need to run a campaign to recognise community forest rights. Although, the process of recognising individual rights has succeeded to some extent, but this process on community forest resource rights is weak. These rights are very important because these resources play an important role in securing the lives and livelihoods of 20 million forest based communities.

Forest Rights Law explains the Residential Rights (Habitat Rights, which means, not only the right to housing, but also the right to a holistic environment). On April 23, 2015, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Government of India) told all the State Governments that they should be used for residential rights of the most vulnerable tribal communities (traditional housing, livelihoods, social, economic, spiritual, sacred, religious and other works), and to make extensive efforts to recognise it. It is important to mention that the traditional tribal communities have been creating their own system in their respective realm. It is the responsibility of the state to preserve its surroundings.

The forest department established by the British Government in India believed that tribal communities only suffer the loss of forests, biodiversity and wildlife. They were not ready to accept the fact that the Vanvasi community had been living on the principle of ‘coexistence’ with the forest, within the forests for thousands of years. It is a good feeling for the community that destruction of natural resources means destruction of their own. They have been monitoring the forest like it is their God. Why would such a society destroy the environment? We all know that the list of the richest ten thousand people in the world will probably not be the name of one of the tribal families!

(Courtesy: Charkha Features)

Writer: Sachin Kumar Jain

Courtesy: The Pioneer

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