At the other end of the spectrum, industrial houses have reportedly threatened the Union government with precipitate action if the latter fails to rein resistance to the setting up of plants and SEZs on forest land.
Bernard D’Mellow, noted political economist, says: “It seems sections of monopoly capital have given an ultimatum to the state governments concerned and the union government that they will dump their proposed mining/industrial/SEZ projects if the local resistance to their business plans is not crippled once and for all.”
And this is why paramilitary forces were deployed all over the forest area of the so-called Red Corridor six months before the final deadline of December 31, 2009, for recording individual and collective claims on land under the Forest Rights Act. In an article published recently, D’Mellow analysed that the long-standing deprivation of the forest dwellers has helped Maoists expand their base in the jungles of West Bengal.
Joya Mitra, writer, poet and environmentalist, said: “These forests belong to those who have lived there forever. Governments occupied these forests without the consent of the tribals. It is time to rectify the situation.”
Reacting to the MP government suggestion regarding the entry of MNCs, she said: “Tribals nurture the forest because their lives depend on it. Corporates destroy forests to harness profit. Despite the Forest Act coming into force, conditional permission has been given to several PSUs and other corporates to set up and operate businesses on forest land.”
Mitra asserted that more than 100,000 hectares of forest has been denuded in this way. “The corporates, even the PSUs, have done no new plantations to comply with the preconditions laid down by the government. It is a proven fact that they have no stake in protecting the forests while the tribals do. So, MNCs should be kept out of forest land,” she said.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Bernard D’Mellow, noted political economist, says: “It seems sections of monopoly capital have given an ultimatum to the state governments concerned and the union government that they will dump their proposed mining/industrial/SEZ projects if the local resistance to their business plans is not crippled once and for all.”
And this is why paramilitary forces were deployed all over the forest area of the so-called Red Corridor six months before the final deadline of December 31, 2009, for recording individual and collective claims on land under the Forest Rights Act. In an article published recently, D’Mellow analysed that the long-standing deprivation of the forest dwellers has helped Maoists expand their base in the jungles of West Bengal.
Joya Mitra, writer, poet and environmentalist, said: “These forests belong to those who have lived there forever. Governments occupied these forests without the consent of the tribals. It is time to rectify the situation.”
Reacting to the MP government suggestion regarding the entry of MNCs, she said: “Tribals nurture the forest because their lives depend on it. Corporates destroy forests to harness profit. Despite the Forest Act coming into force, conditional permission has been given to several PSUs and other corporates to set up and operate businesses on forest land.”
Mitra asserted that more than 100,000 hectares of forest has been denuded in this way. “The corporates, even the PSUs, have done no new plantations to comply with the preconditions laid down by the government. It is a proven fact that they have no stake in protecting the forests while the tribals do. So, MNCs should be kept out of forest land,” she said.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Read these article :-
No comments:
Post a Comment