GOVERNMENT BETRAYED ON FOREST RIGHT ISSUE

Schedule Tribe Forest Rights Bill has proved to be “Sap bhi mar jaye aur lathi bhi na tote”. The government has been successful in posing to the world that it has given rights to forest dwellers over forest. The Samajwadi Jan Parishad (SJP), Shramik Adivasi Sanghathana and Jan Sangharsh Morcha (JSM) condemn the government for betraying tribal community and other fellow forest dwellers like Dalits, on the issue of forest rights. The forest right bill as passed will prove eyewash to the numerous groups who have been waiting for generation to get their due forest rights. The apprehension that the bill is being brought to clear the way by getting rid of tribals forest right issu,e which was haunting since last 150 years, for government to lease out big chunk of forest to companies has proved right. The SJP, JSM along with other organisation of the country will launch a movement to secure full right to forest dwellers. We are not going to accept half cooked bill.
Anurag Modi convener of JSM said that the bill is designed in such a way that it will give from one hand takes away by other. Firstly the forest rights have been limited to gramsabha limit where as 90% of the usable forest falls outside the purview of gramsabha where forest dwellers won’t get any right as per the bill. The bill says Forest Dwellers will get forest right within gramsabha limit. Modi asked why forest dwellers have been limited to gramsabha where as all their needs get fulfilled from the forest which falls outside the gramsabha limit. Quoting an example he said in a village Jodiyamaw in shahpur Tahsil of Betul district tribals get Bamboo from the
by limiting forest dwellers to gramsabha government will be all free to hand over remaning 90% forest , which falls out the gramsabha limt to Companies. Shamim a state general secretary of SJP said it will create social tension as forest dwellers other than tribals will be almost left out since firstly it is hard to prove their residence prior to 3 generations and secondly many moved after that. She said the condition of one should be residing in forest may\n prove otherwise since there are more than 75 % village in the forest area.
ANURAG MODI SHAMIM Convener JSM State General secretary of SJP , MP