Political Economy of the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006

Abstract

Politics has played havoc with tribals and the environment during the post-Independence period in India. Even after fi fty years of Indian planning, deprived groups, and tribals in particular, continue to remain underdeveloped, with their living conditions deteriorating further. Taking a historical perspective, this article seeks to capture the political undercurrents of economic policy-making towards tribals and tribal development planning and specifi cally analyses the consequences of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 on the environment as well as tribal development. Examining whether this new, politically motivated law will provide an impetus for economic progress of the tribals and environmental sustainability, it is argued that this Act will neither benefit the tribal communities nor enhance conservation. Rather, it serves as a cloak to justify non-tribal intervention, with potentially disastrous consequences.

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