Home / Environment / Tribal Affairs Ministry Unveils Policy to Safeguard Forest Dwellers' Rights in Relocations
Tribal Affairs Ministry Unveils Policy to Safeguard Forest Dwellers' Rights in Relocations
28 Oct
Summary
- Relocation from tiger reserves must be "exceptional, voluntary, and evidence-based"
- Policy calls for national framework, database, and annual audits to ensure compliance
- Gram Sabha members to be included in decision-making, in-situ development prioritized
In a significant move, the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has unveiled a new policy framework that aims to reconcile conservation efforts with the rights of forest-dwelling communities in India's tiger reserves. The policy, titled "Reconciling Conservation and Community Rights: A Policy Framework for Relocation and Co-existence in India's Tiger Reserves," was sent to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change last week.
The key highlights of the policy include the mandate that the relocation of forest-dwelling communities from tiger reserves must be an "exceptional, voluntary, and evidence-based measure." The policy calls for the establishment of a National Framework for Community-Centred Conservation and Relocation (NFCCR), which would allow the Environment Ministry and Tribal Affairs Ministry to jointly set procedural standards, timelines, and accountability mechanisms for such relocations.
Additionally, the policy suggests the creation of a National Database on Conservation-Community Interface (NDCCI) to record and track relocations, compensation, and the status of communities post-relocation. It also recommends annual independent audits of relocation projects by empanelled agencies to assess compliance with the Forest Rights Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and human rights standards.
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Importantly, the policy emphasizes that communities must have the option to continue living in their "traditional forest habitats" while exercising their Individual Forest Rights or Community Forest Rights under the Forest Rights Act. In such cases, the authorities must ensure the in-situ development of basic infrastructure and include Gram Sabha members in Tiger Conservation Foundations and Eco Development Committees.
The Tribal Affairs Ministry's policy framework comes in response to concerns raised by several state governments and Gram Sabhas about the non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Last year, the National Tiger Conservation Authority's directive to prioritize the relocation of villages in core areas of tiger reserves had drawn protests from Gram Sabhas and forest rights activists.
