Citizens for Justice and Peace
Tharu Adivasis submit rebuttal against rejected land claims: Dudhwa National Park Forest dwellers had submitted community forest rights claims in 2013
11-Sep-2019
Adivasis and forest dwellers of a village in Dudhwa National Park offer a point by point rebuttal to the fallacious claims of the Forest Department submitted as “grounds” to reject community forest rights claims (CFR). The villagers had submitted the claims as long back as in 2013. On July 31, 2013, forest dwellers from 17…
10 must read books about Adivasis and Forest Rights A curated list of some of the best books to understand the bond between forests and their inhabitants
10-Sep-2019
With growing conversation around forest rights, we need to understand how India’s Adivasis and forest dwellers have played a key role in protecting forest cover and biodiversity. It is also important to examine their culture and history of living in harmony with nature and see for oneself how their existence is symbiotic with the forests…
No due process or formal communication to land claimants: MP govt State admits to flaws in rejecting land claims, launches Vanmitra app to address bureaucratic lacunae
09-Sep-2019
In a compliance affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in an on-going litigation by Wildlife First, challenging the constitutional validity of the law, Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), the Madhya Pradesh (MP) government acknowledged the historical injustices and the marginalized nature of tribal communities and Other Traditional…
No procedure of eviction under FRA 2006: Chhattisgarh gov’t Analysis of state gov't affidavit submitted to SC
04-Sep-2019
In a crucial intervention in the on-going litigation by Wildlife First challenging the constitutional validity of the law, Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, the Chhattisgarh state, in its affidavit filed in July 2019, not only recognises the lapses in recognition of forest rights, but also suggests the way forward. In its affidavit filed as a…
Forest Dwellers have no support from Gov’t in filing Land Claims: Roma CJP Secy Teesta Setalvad and AIUFWP Dy Gen. Secy Roma explore the complicated process of filing community forest rights claims and other related issues
04-Sep-2019
In the second part of an exclusive conversation with CJP Secretary Teesta Setalvad, the deputy general secretary of All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) Roma Malik highlights the complex and tedious process of filing claims under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Under the Act,…
Rajkumari of Dhuma: Fighting for her rights with a song on her lips Human Rights Defender
21-Aug-2019
“Our struggle is neither against the dam nor against the brokers; we are demanding our rights. We are demanding our land” says Rajkumari, a fiery activist of the Kaimur Kisan Andolan, which is part of the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP). Rajkumari Bhuiya from Dhuma has grown into an immutable voice who…
Forest Rights case: SC directs states to file Compliance Affidavits Sokalo Gond and Nivada Rana file Intervention Application backed by CJP and AIUFWP
06-Aug-2019
The Supreme Court has directed states that have not filed compliance affidavits on the matter of implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, to do so within a fortnight. Wild Life First v/s Union of India –a batch of petitions filed in 2008 challenging the constitutional validity of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 came up…
घातक हमला झेलने के बाद मेरा डर भी ख़त्म हो गया – निवादा राणा एक मानवाधिकार रक्षक के संघर्ष का अनुभव
24-Jul-2019
वनाधिकार आंदोलन की लगभग 40 वर्षीय नेता निवादा राणा चार बच्चों की माँ हैं। उन्होंने अपने ऊपर घातक हमले होने के बावजूद पूरी दृढ़ता के साथ संघर्ष को आगे बढ़ाने का संकल्प लिया है। जब वे हम पर वन्यजीवों को नष्ट करने का आरोप लगा रहे थे, तो मैं सब समझ रही थी; मैंने…
Over 30,000 Adivasis and Forest Dwellers take to the streets Nation-wide protests against eviction and amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927
23-Jul-2019
Protests to defend provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, oppose proposed draconian amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and against the government’s antipathy towards the forest dwelling communities, erupted across India on July 22, 2019. More than 30,000 people participated in protests at various locations in different states including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh,…
My fears evaporated after the near fatal attack on me: Forest Rights leader, Nivada Rana Human Rights Defender profile
23-Jul-2019
In her 40s now, and a mother of four children, forest movement leader Nivada Rana not only sustained near fatal attacks, but has resolved to carry forward the struggle with more resolve. When they accuse us of destroying wildlife, I am very clear; I tell them that they are spreading falsehoods. I tell them,…