The All India Kisan Sabha and the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan have asked that the government drop a Bill to modify the Forest Conservation Act, claiming that it will affect villagers’ rights. Left-wing organizations have also scheduled a statewide rally against the Bill on June 30. Activists from the two groups stated at a press conference here on Tuesday that the proposed revision will damage the substance of the Act. The Forest Conservation Act is currently being revised. It will centralize and bureaucratize the Act, destroying its basic character, All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Mollah warned. On June 30, we will observe Land Rights Day. There will be protests across the country, he stated.
According to the activists, the addition of Section 1A(2) to the Act will corporate and exempt specific areas of land from the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. Exemptions include forest land near rail lines and government-maintained public roads that give access to habitation or rail, as well as land located within 100 kilometers of international borders, lines of control, or lines of real control. “These exemptions violate FRA by nullifying Gram Sabha’s power, which governs over all forest land and requires Gram Sabha consent before diverting forest land,” Mollah stated.
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