It appears that today is a day when more than just a few things are right :
Gadchiroli villages get legal right over forest.
Two tribal villages in the Maoist-infested Gadchiroli on Tuesday became the first in the country to get legal rights over forest and forest produce.
Mendha (Lekha) and Marda will manage the forest and water in their jurisdiction and be the legal owners of forest produce except timber, according to a document, Record of Rights, presented to the representatives of the villages by governor SC Jamir.
On August 15, the government had announced its decision in favour of the villages. The Record of Rights recognises the villagers’ right to manage their forest, water, and the right to forest produce as per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Right) Act, 2006.
I hope this precedent paves the way for many more similar decisions. Tribals rightfully own their forests and giving them legal ownership can only help solve the cause of Naxalism, which in most cases stems from Government seizure of forest land and subsequent contract deals.
Locals are also capable of preserving forests far better than the Government, which — at last count — wasn’t really good at anything and had a long nose that it used to poke into unnecessary issues. For more, check the Stuff Government Does That It Shouldn’t Be Doing.
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December 17, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Rupesh
This makes sense. Lots of work has been done with regard to property rights in such case, most notably by Elinor Ostrom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Ostrom#Research
December 17, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Deepak Iyer
@Rupesh : Well said — property rights. Few people know the word; still fewer, its meaning; further less, it’s importance.
I’ll look up the research. But she hasn’t worked in India, right ?