Amnesty Condemns SC Ruling on Evicting 10 Lakh Tribal Families

Amnesty said, “A devastating Supreme Court ruling could render over a million indigenous people homeless.”

International Human Rights organisation, Amnesty, condemned the Supreme Court ruling that has ordered the eviction of more than 10 lakh indigenous tribal families from forests in across 16 states.

In a statement, Amnesty said, “This ruling is a body blow to Adivasi rights in India. It would be unconscionable for Adivasi people to be evicted from their homes and lands merely because their claims were rejected in a process that is known to be severely flawed. (sic)”

A devastating Supreme Court ruling could render over a million indigenous people homeless. (1/4)

See our full statement here 👇🏿https://t.co/aGCWJwf1bg

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 21, 2019

The Forest Rights Act is very poorly implemented. Adivasi people claiming recognition of their rights often face corruption, bureaucracy, and apathy. State governments have admitted that claims are often wrongly rejected. (3/4)

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 21, 2019

Outrageous that the central government did not properly defend the Forest Rights Act before the Supreme Court, and didn’t even present its lawyers when the order was passed. The government has abjectly failed to protect Adivasi rights. (4/4)

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 21, 2019

The SC was hearing a PIL, challenging the validity of the Forest Rights Act, passed by the Parliament in 2006 which gives back to traditional forest inhabitants the right to access, manage and govern forests within their village boundaries, reported News18.

The three-judge bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, Navin Sinha and Indrani Banerjee set the next date of hearing on 27 July and directed the governments of the 16 states to evict all those whose claims over traditional forest lands were rejected.