The Politics of Forest Conservation in India and the Rights of the Forest Dependent People: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Forest conservation is the much talkative issue in the today's international forum. India is also not lagging behind in this respect. Forest has played a vital role in the social and economic life of a country. At the domestic level India has taken so many significant steps with regard to the protection of the forest. But till 1970s forest conservation was never treated as a prior issue by the Indian government. It was after 1970s, that the era of forest conservation started in India. This transformation was caused by some significant events that took place at international and national level that started to come up during that period. But the conservationist measures of India often result into the oppression and alienation of the forest dwellers. It must to note here that in India 200 million people depend on forest for their livelihood. Like flora and fauna, the forest dwellers are also form an integral part of the forest. Forest is a life sustaining system for them. Notably in 2006 Forest Rights Act (FRA) came into existence in India under which efforts have been made for the first time to grant the land rights to the forest dwellers of the country. But the Act has to face so many hurdles since its inception.