For generations, adivasi and forest-dwelling communities have lived in harmony with the forests, relying on them for food and livelihood. Yet, their traditional farming on forest lands was often labelled as “encroachment," and their deep knowledge of the forest went unrecognised.
The Forest Rights Act of 2006 was a landmark step to correct this historical injustice. This law provides legal recognition to the rights of these communities to their ancestral lands and forests.
There are two key parts to these rights:
However, securing these rights is not a simple process, even two decades after the law was passed. Our work involves guiding communities through the application process for both individual and community rights.
This effort is organically linked to our other work. Once Community Forest Rights are granted, we help villages use schemes like MGNREGA to rejuvenate and conserve their forest patches.
The farm plots secured under Individual Forest Rights are often the very ones where nutritious millets like Ragi are grown. We work with Adivasi farmers to revive these traditional crops by adopting improved agroecological practices. Thus by ensuring government programs reach the unreached, we help turn legal rights into tangible, thriving livelihoods.
