Forest dwellers in Uttaranchal opposes ST Bill 2005

Dehra Dun, Dec 27 (UNI) The National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPEW)has taken strong exception to Scheduled Tribe Bill, 2005 passed by Parliament seeking to end the historical injustice to forest dwellers, claiming that many of their proposals have been omitted in the Bill.

''When the draft of the Bill was sent to Joint Parliamentary Committee for views, NFFPFW and other related organisations had pressed it to include proposals pertaining to the welfare of forest dwellers. Acting on it, the Committee had included them in the final draft. However, when the Bill was passed on December 15, all of them were omitted,'' said Ashok Chaudhary, the Forum's President told reporters here today. He disclosed the Forum had proposed to include forest workers in separate category, which was not done, noting that keeping all forest workers and forest dwellers in one category would adversely effect the forest dwellers of Uttaranchal in particular as the Bill was focused more on the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and most of the people here depended on forests. ''The Bill brings only those forest dwellers under its ambit whose third generation had been residing in forest areas, meanwhile, forest dwellers in Uttaranchal have been considered as staying in forest only since 25 years, he said. ''This totally throws them out of the ambit of the provision,'' he added, pointing out that it would be a difficult task for them to prove their authenticity.

Mr Chaudhary claimed that the Bill provided Forest Officials more power than the Gram Sabhas, which was totally against the welfare of forest dwellers. The committee had proposed right on forest resources such as water, wood, roots, slates, stones, gravel etc., however these forest products had been left out in the Bill, he added. ''Right to these forest resources was very essential for the forest dwellers of Uttaranchal as most of them depended on them.

Their exclusion would make life difficult for them '' Mr Chaudhary observed.

Mr Chaudhary said though the government has assured of passing the Bill in its original form, the Forest dwellers looking askance at its assurance looks forward for the firm result. The Forum also protests the Joint Forest Management which has adversely affected community forest management system. He threatened if the result does not favour the forest dwellers, the Forum would embark on agitation to end the 'historical injustice' done to them so far.

UNI LPT MS KN1721