22-Mar-2020
While the Covid-19 pandemic has grabbed all our attention and the PM of India has announced a ‘Janta Curfew’ in a bid to curb the transmission of the Coronavirus in India, we must while ensuring the safety of ourselves and others, not forget other important issues that plague the country. Forests are the lifelines of India…
17-Feb-2020
Recently a contingent of 23 Dalit and Adivasi forest workers from Lakhimpur Khikri, Sonbhadra and Manikpur arrived in New Delhi to express solidarity with people protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The visiting contingent comprised members of the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP). Just like the protests at Shaheen Bagh are predominantly…
22-Nov-2019
Thousands of Adivasis, Forest Workers, Forest Dwellers and Forest Rights Activists gathered around the parliament, on 21st November, to ask for their land rights, demand the implementation of Forest Rights Act 2006 and protest illegal evictions in light of upcoming hearing in the Supreme Court.
21-Nov-2019
“One woman standing up against an unjust law is unlikely to achieve much on her own; many women working together, however, are more likely to provoke change” (Rowland 1998) I had first read about a Van Gujjar named Mariam in an article titled “Tribal Women in UP: Challenging the Panchayat System” in Diana Vinding’s book…
20-Nov-2019
Forest Rights Groups are preparing for a ‘Sansad Gherao’ on November 21st at Sansad Marg, Delhi. The Gherao, along with state, district and village level actions, have been planned to protest violations of people’s rights and dilution of Forest Rights Act of 2006 despite a Supreme Court stay on evictions. Come join us in this…
11-Nov-2019
Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, a forest rights collective, held a planning meeting at Indian Social Institute regarding the action planned on November 21, 2019 to have a Sansad Gherao at Sansad Marg, Delhi. The Gherao, along with state, district and village level actions, have been planned to protest violations of people’s rights and dilution of Forest Rights…
04-Nov-2019
On the occasion of 66th birth anniversary of the leading women’s activist Bharati Roy Chowdhury, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) participated in providing constitutional law training in a community meet organised with the objective of reinforcing women leadership in grassroots activism and advocacy. The training was conducted along with the All India Union of…
28-Oct-2019
In August 2014, the Prime Minister’s Office constituted a High-Level Committee (HLC) with Prof. Virginius Xaxa as Chairperson. In its Terms of Reference (TOR), the Committee was mandated “to examine the socioeconomic, educational and health status of tribal communities and recommend appropriate interventional measures to improve the same”. The Report comprises thematic sections based on…
28-Oct-2019
The Group was established to investigate into the processes and causes which contributed to “continued tensions and alienation in the areas of unrest and discontent”, such as wide-spread displacement, forest issues, insecure tenancies and other forms of exploitation, identify causes for low social and human development indicators, suggest measures to upgrade the levels of governance…
28-Oct-2019
The Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005 sought to recognise forest rights of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) who have been occupying the land before October 25, 1980. This Bill did not recognise communities which depend on the forest for their survival and livelihood but don’t constitute forest dwellers or Scheduled Tribes. After…