"Land is our life"

"Land is our life"

In India, the 2006 Forest Rights Act was supposed to protect the rights of millions of communities like the Kutia Kand Adivasi in Odisha, in the east of the country.

Kandana Jani, a 62-year-old father of five, followed the law and fought to have the rights of his family and 50 others in his community recognized through the Forest Rights Act.

But local authorities, under the guise of ‘forestation’ projects, have started bringing in profitable teak tree plantations onto land that Kandana and his community have rights to. 

The high global demand for teakwood furniture, floors and other commercial home goods has made this a profitable industry. However, expanding teak plantations comes at the expense of the Kutia. Where before they planted a variety of crops, and managed biodiversity in the forests, now they are fighting against the spread of these tree plantations. 

Without the forests, the community is now in danger of disappearing. However, Kandana and others are not sitting the fight out, but are instead petitioning the government to enforce their own laws. 

In 2006, with the Forest Rights Act, India recognized in law, rights of forest dependent communities, and proved to be a world leader on this matter. But competing interests have reduced that ambition. India needs to be a forests champion once again. 

What’s the solution? The Indian government must stop claiming community lands for industrial farming, mining or badly planned conservation projects. Instead, it should recognize the rights of tribal groups and local communities over their lands, and properly implement the 2006 Forest Rights Act. If this is realized on the ground, more than 150 million women and men, along with half of the country’s forests, will benefit.  

 

 

 

 

 


Others

Find out how Oxfam India is enabling communities by working to provide a life of dignity and equal opportunity for all.Get to know more about Oxfam India`s latest projects.

Read More

Related Stories

Education

20 Feb, 2022

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh

Village Backs Mohalla Classes

As all Mohalla Classes, the one in Bhaisani village too started with the sole aim to bridge the learning gap and to ensure that children, who lost two precious years of school, can be mainstreamed

Read More

Education

18 Feb, 2022

Nalanda, Bihar

Making Students Computer Savvy

“Computers are vital in this day and age, but it was very unfortunate that many of my students did not have basic knowledge of computers.

Read More

Women Livelihood

09 Feb, 2022

Nalanda, Bihar

Sangita’s Shop

It wasn’t her shop to begin with. Sangita Devi’s husband Vipendra Pal, a daily wage worker, used to run the small grocery shop as part time to help the family meet ends.

Read More

Women Livelihood

03 Feb, 2022

Koraput, Odisha

For Vegetable Farmer Bati Hantal, Age Is Just A Number

“We used to be content if we could get work under a government scheme and if not, we would leave the matter to rest. But Sangeeta didi told us how to avail government schemes.

Read More