Why are tribals protesting in Maharashtra?, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• Thousands of tribal farmers from Palghar and Nashik districts in Maharashtra conducted long marches organized by the All India Kisan Sabha and CPI-M.
• The marches protested pending land rights for tribals under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Protests addressed issues like land ownership titles, irrigation, employment, and education.
• As of 2025, Maharashtra has disposed of 3,80,966 claims under the Forest Rights Act, with 2,08,335 titles distributed and 1,72,631 claims rejected.

Detailed Insights:

• The primary demand is to implement the Forest Rights Act, 2006, ensuring forest land tilled for generations is registered in the names of the tribal farmers.
• Tribals claim current land ownership titles exclude them from government schemes and institutional loans due to the way names are recorded.
• They are also seeking construction of small dams and river-linking projects to divert water to drought-prone areas, enabling year-round cultivation.
• Other demands include selling agricultural produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and completing pending recruitments under the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996.
• Over 45% of claims under the Forest Rights Act have been rejected, and tribal groups want individual names on ownership records, not just village names.
• The government acknowledges concerns about land allotment and is investigating potential issues arising from the digitization of governance records.
• There is an ongoing ideological tension between traditional conservation approaches and the Forest Rights Act, which integrates forest dwellers into conservation and management.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Forest Rights Act, 2006: Legislation granting rights to forest-dwelling communities over land and resources.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP): A price set by the government to purchase certain crops from farmers, ensuring a minimum profit.
• Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996: Law empowering tribal communities in Scheduled Areas with self-governance.