Madhya Pradesh: Medha Patkar Opposes Amendments To Forest Act, 1980

Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar held a press conference in Barwani opposing Parliamentary committee’s for amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in its entirety. She said that the changes would dilute various protections in the law.

Accusing the Central government of attempting to displace lakhs of tribals from the forest, Patkar claimed that the government was trying to weaken the Forest Protection Act 1980 and the Forest Rights Act 2006 by bringing about an amendment during the Monsoon Session scheduled from Thursday.

Patkar said that thousands of tribal, social organisations, and environmentalists have registered protests against the bill. Even the then Parliamentary Joint Committee had approved to place it before the Parliament.

Through this amendment, the government would displace lakhs of tribal from the forest by diluting the Forest Protection Act, of 1980 and the Forest Rights Act 2006. All MLAs, MPs who would support the changes would be anti-tribal, she said. NBA leader said that in fact, former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had urged that the proposed bill should go before the Standing Committee of the Parliament.

The approval was taken by postponing it. The bill would rob tribals of their rights, livelihood and housing from the forests. Apart from ruining forests, the amendment would also hit rivers, groundwater, fisheries, business, wild animals and every resource like mountains, soil and nature. Patkar said that people who want to save nature, rivers, water, land, forests and mountains, including the tribal of the country, should oppose capitalists’ conspiracy to make forests unsafe and displace the forest-dwellers through Rule-2022. “We want strict implementation of the Forest Rights Act from every state government,” she said.

If natural wealth is snatched, then political parties, MPs and all people's representatives who give consent to these rules 2022 in the Parliament would be declared anti-tribal.