Has forest rights Act enhanced the lives of Adivasis?
The forest has been a significant source of livelihood for Adivasis in central India for centuries. Besides food, fodder and fuel, the forest has also been the source of medicine, building materials, materials for making agricultural tools, etc. Due to this dependency, Adivasis have been protecting the forest and its biodiversity in their inhabited areas.
The situation changed during the colonial era when the state secured absolute control over the forest to meet the demand for timber. Indian Forest Act, 1927 provided a legal framework for such control. An exclusive focus on timber production has been proven detrimental to other non-timber species, which gradually started disappearing from the forest.
This situation continued after independence and, as a result, Adivasis’ life, primarily dependent on the forest resources, became more vulnerable. To undo this injustice, the Government of India came up withThe Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) to give forest management rights and land tenure to the forest-dwelling communities to secure their livelihood. However, the situation had already worsened for Adivasis.