The Forest Rights Act

In the Dangs, Gujarat, illegal evictions continue and people are being thrown off their lands.

 

Despite the legal protection they have under the Forest Rights Act,
adivasis and forest dwellers still continue to face brutality and
repression. On April 22nd, more than 150 forest guards attacked an
adivasi familyin the Dangs, Gujarat. They tied the hands and feet of
Shri Ramubhai Rajubhai Gadar and his wife, beat them up mercilessly,
burned down Shri Ramubhai’s hut and physically assaulted other
villagers as well. Ramubhai and his wife were hospitalised with severe
injuries.

Aside from the fact that these forest officials are guilty of criminal
assault, under both the Forest Rights Act and an earlier order of the
Gujarat High Court, there can be no evictions of adivasis and forest
dwellers until the process of recognition of rights is complete. But
this has not stopped the forest bureaucracy, which continues its drive
to seize land and resources in flagant disregard of both people's
rights and the law.