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The Scheduled Tribes
and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,
2006 is a result of the protracted struggle by
the marginal and tribal communities of our country to assert
their rights over the forestland over which they were
traditionally dependent. This Act is crucial to the rights
of millions of tribal and other forest dwellers in
different parts of our country as it provides for the
restitution of deprived forest rights across India,
including both individual rights to cultivated land in
forestland and community rights over common property
resources. The notification of Rules for the implementation
of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 on 1st Jan 2008, has finally
paved the way to undo the ‘historic injustice’ done to the
tribal and other forest dwellers.
The livelihood of
perhaps 100 million poorest of the poor (The Indian Forest
Rights Act 2006: Commoning Enclosures) stands to improve if
implementation can succeed. The Act is significant as it
provides scope and historic opportunity of integrating
conservation and livelihood rights of the people.
We perceive this Act
as a potential tool
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To empower and
strengthen the local self governance
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To address the
livelihood security of the people, leading to poverty
alleviation and pro poor growth
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To address the
issues of Conservation and management of the Natural
Resources and conservation governance of India.
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