India, Jan. 27 -- The 'real owner' of forest land is still the forest department. Such brazen violation of the law betrays a systematic attempt to implement FRA, reducing it to a symbol rather than a tool of empowerment
The Dangs, the smallest district in Gujarat, is a thickly forested and tribal-dominated region that has been away from the 'developmental' paradigm till today.
Some 77.5 per cent of its area is under forest cover, according to the State of Forest Report by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It is home to tribal communities like the Bhils, Warlis, Kunbis, Kotwalias and Kolchas, collectively known as 'Dangis'.
These groups still live off resources in and around the forest, performing activities li...