SC to Hear Plea Against Alleged Encroachments on Tribal Land

The plea sought ‘not to allot or transfer possession of any forest land belonging to tribals to anyone else’.

Image of an indigenous person used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/ The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 5 March, agreed to hear a plea filed against the alleged encroachments on tribal lands.

The plea, filed by Advocate ML Sharma before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, sought a direction “not to allot or transfer possession of any forest land belonging to tribals to anyone other than tribals,” ANI reported.

The apex court had, on 13 February, ordered over 16 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, to initiate the process of eviction of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) from forestland.

The petitioners had demanded that all those whose claims over traditional forestland are rejected under the Forest Rights Act (2006), should be evicted by state governments.

Later, on 28 February, the Supreme Court had stayed the order.

The top court had also asked the states to submit details of the process adopted to assess the claims under the Act, as per ANI.

Meanwhile, Adivasi rights organisations on Tuesday called for a nation-wide bandh to demand that the Centre promulgate an ordinance to secure the forest rights of tribals, IANS reported.

The groups decided to go ahead with the strike despite the Supreme Court staying the implementation of its earlier order.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also extended support to the tribal groups observing the nationwide shutdown.

"Our tribal and Dalit brothers and sisters are in distress. There have been constant attacks on their rights to forest and life. They are in distress as their rights to forests are being snatched and Constitutional provisions of reservations tampered with," said Gandhi.

(With inputs from ANI, IANS)