National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers
National Convention
June 10-12, 2009, Dehradun, India
The struggle for establishing community rule and control over the forest resources got a new boost when the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, was passed in 2006 by the Indian Parliament. It was a historical moment for the struggling communities despite some inherent lacunas and problems in the Act when finally on December 31 2007 the Act was notified and procedures led out for its implementation all across the country. This is also a historical event, for the first time ever rights of forest dwellers over forest has been given a legal and political acceptance by the State and their role in conservation and development of forests recognised. Today, after more than 60 years of independence, for the first time, these communities feel independent having suffered exploitation and humiliation at the hands of Forest Department and feudal & elite forces, all due to this Act, which promises liberation and dignity.
However, the numerous problems encountered by the communities in implementation of the provisions of the Act are well known since it challenges the domination and interests of forest department and other feudal & elite forces. These forces have been creating problems of various kinds and also colluding with the machinery of State to deny the rights due to communities. This has been duly recognised by the communities and in past two years there have been innumerable instances of conflict and resistance against the ill machinations of the forest department and feudal interests. This is going to be a bitter and long struggle for the communities to achieve community control over the forests, which has been clearly enunciated in the preface of the Act itself. Hence, the biggest challenge in front of the communities and social movements today is how to achieve Community Governance over the forest in these circumstances,which will ensure community control over natural resources in the long term. Movements need to decide collectively about how to build up Peoples’ Institutions for community governance.
Our experience says the strategies to deal with the circumstances can only be formulated by the activists and awakened leadership of forest rights movements in the country and none else. The wisdom and knowledge of the communities engaged in struggle for their survival and conservation of forest has to play an important role in these strategies. This also requires that the local organisations need to be strengthened so that they could actually implement the mandate thrust upon them – of conservation and sustainable livelihood – by the Act in long term. These people’s organisations, autonomous bodies and cooperatives of the forest dwellers have to be run by them under their leadership alone.
It was in this context that the NFFPFW’s second national conference in Ranchi in October 2006 passed two important resolutions which would determine the future strategies of the struggles :
- To establish control over the forests of the communities dependent on them.
- To oppose commercialisation of the forests.
In last two years important steps have been taken to implement these two resolutions in some of the regions. It was also decided in the Ranchi conference that to counter these challenges it is imperative that community leadership in the movements has to be strengthened and struggles given new energy and direction which is arising from the aspirations of the people.
Even as we plan to meet in Dehradun, after the General Elections, Congress led government is already formed at the Centre. However, it need to be understood that the Congress led UPA government has got majority support from all the sections of society but they could not attain absolute majority, since poor people of this country are too aware that none of the political parties actually stand for pro-people politics and development and they can’t be trusted. History stands witness to the fact that Congress has been always supported by the feudal and capitalist classes and that’s why they have always represented their interests in favour of the millions of the poor who keep reposing their trust time and again. The newly formed UPA has to face many challenges now to keep its promises to poor classes. We must know that in future the capitalist economic agenda will be pushed with much more force by UPA government necessitating a re energised protest from the people’s movements all across the country. We will have to collectively embolden our struggles and ensure communities control and rule over the forest and weaken the forces of the capitalism.
We need to understand that the failure of all the parties in opposition (national or regional) with exception of few can be attributed to the fact that they failed to build any substantial opposition and movement on people issues, which would have earned them support from people. Since there was no viable alternative available in front of people they voted for Congress, which was not a majority vote. There is a lesson inherent in this election for all other political parties and also for the Congress. It is to be observed that this time Congress is neither giving much weight to the allies within UPA nor making any attempts at formulating a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) as they did in the previous government. The congress might have to pay heavy price for not constituting the CMP in near future, since CMP is not only about the agreed mandate of parties within the government but is directly linked with the aspirations of the masses. Therefore it is very clear that CMP simply means that the government doesn’t want to leave any political manoeuvring space on the political and social matters for social movements.
In such a situation we need to understand that the people’s movement can’t wait for the government for stricter and effective implementation of the historical Forest Rights Act. As there is lot of pressure on the present government from environmentalist lobby and the Forest Department, therefore it is very necessary that we will have to build up the struggle and strategize for establishing the communities control over the forests by sustained pressure on the government machinery. The year in which this Act was passed by the government the efforts at commercial exploitation of the forests were also enhanced, and this needs to be conveyed to the people. It is only when we are aware of the government’s intentions and initiatives at commercialisation that we can formulate strategies for establishing governance mechanisms which will stop the commercial exploitation and degradation of forests.
The need of the hour is that the active supporters and activists of the movements of the forest dwelling communities struggling for forest rights sit together and work towards developing strategies which can ensure community control and also stop the commercial exploitation of forests. In this process only we can strike a long term collaboration of the forest rights movements, climate justice movements and other rights based movements. Today there is a sense of fragmentation within the larger movement which is giving space to capitalist forces to extend their influence over the forest and other natural resources which is creating wider environmental and social crisis in the society. The capitalist forces in their effort to maximise profit are trading the environmental crisis for their narrow economic gains rather than finding sustainable long term solutions.
It is to counter the influence of these capitalist forces that the around the world the toiling and working classes are mobilising themselves, be it disrupting the gathering of G-20 in London or ASEAN’s meeting in Bangkok, or UNFCCC 2007 in Bali, Indonesia. This year thousands of workers, indigenous people, women and marginalised masses raised slogans at various deliberations at the World Social Forum, Belem demanding climate justice for everyone and demise of capitalism. In India also there is a need for internal cohesion at various fronts amongst the numerous movements against the capitalist development and also a greater need for establishing linkages and coordination with the movements at the global level.
It is to discuss these important issues that NFFPFW is holding its annual convention. Today the government of India is executing all kinds of trade and commercial agreements with capitalist nations worldwide which impacts the millions of working and toiling masses. However, information on none of these agreements are available to people, the convention will critically discuss such agreements and other international matters of direct relevance to forest people.
In addition to the constituent groups of NFFPFW, other organisations, friends and supporters working on forest rights are also invited to this convention so that a more informed dialogue can take place and effective strategies could be formulated.
The agenda of the convention will focus on following issues :
- Effective implementation of Forest Rights Act by the community led groups and organisations establishing community rule and control over the forests and other natural resources.
- Building effective and sustainable community led groups and organisations.
- To strengthen campaigns against the commercialisation of the forests and oppose G-20, European Union, WTO, ASEAN and other international bodies pushing capitalist agenda globally.
- To organise masses for achievement of the fundamental rights enshrined in the national constitution and international rights charters etc.
- To unite the groups all across the world struggling against capitalist development for climate justice.
- To establish effective coordination and understanding with the global movements for climate justice.
With revolutionary greetings !
National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers
