The Madras High Court has said if claims are made for community rights or rights to forest land and applications are submitted under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, the process of verification of the claim could go on, but, before the certificate of title is issued, court orders should be obtained.

After Uttarakhand, it is the turn of the Himachal Pradesh government to stop Van Gujjars, nomadic tribals, from migrating to highland pastures in the state despite promulgation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (recognition of forest rights) Act on January 1, 2008. A total of 432 Van Gujjar families comprising more than 1,000 members and thousands of milch animals are stranded. This year these tribals have been denied entry to their traditional grasslands in Shimla district.

The former Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president and Rajya Sabha M.P. Harish Rawat has threatened a massive agitation if the State Government did not implement the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act 2006 immediately. Addressing a large number of Van Gujjars and other forest dwelling people during a token dharna cum fast at the Gandhi Park here, Mr Rawat said the Act if implemented would benefit about 20 lakh people who were under a constant threat of being uprooted from their traditional homes by the forest and other officials.

Requesting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to rescind or replace the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, Early Birds, an NGO from the State, submitted a memorandum to the PMO. The environmental NGO has requested the PM to bring forward-thinking legislations in place of the above Act, which can provide forest usufruct rights, as well as, alternative livelihoods to the forest-dependant poor, without making the mistake of land grants.

The tiger versus tribal fight being played out in the country to the disadvantage of both is witnessing a new dimension in Karnataka's tiger reserves, where tribals are being relocated under the For

The Forest Rights Act is under attack, facing at least five petitions against it in various courts.

The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has begun in most central Indian states.

The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has begun in most central Indian states.

Debi Goenka, treasurer, Bombay Natural History Society

The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has begun in most central Indian states.