We help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.
Urgent action: Stop the erosion of forest rights in India
The Prime Minister's Office has pushed for the watering down of India's most important law protecting tribal peoples' rights to their lands and forest resources, claiming the change is needed because of delays to industrial projects.
The Forest Rights Act is supposed to enshrine forest-dwellers' rights to protect, manage and live from their forests. It addresses 'historical injustice to ... forest dwellers who are integral to the... survival and sustainability of the forest'. Changing the Act is a dangerous signal that industrial development will take precedence over tribal rights. This has caused outcry in India.
Please write a letter to the Indian Prime Minister, asking him to withdraw the directive and protect the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act.
We have a template letter for you to use, and will email you a ready-to-print PDF file immediately. (In this case, we don't think emails will get through, so if you can please write a paper letter we'd be grateful.)
Survival International, 6 Charterhouse Buildings, London, EC1M 7ET, United Kingdom. www.survivalinternational.org