Conflicting Laws are criminalising forest communities for exercising their rights

Abstract

It was a balmy morning in the forests of Mannekpur as community members gathered to discuss the atrocities they continued to face from the forest department. The governance of Indian forests has been a fairly complicated issue since India was under colonial rule. Human dominion over these forests has shaped their ecosystems just as much as they have influenced human livelihoods. However, the colonial legacy of our forest laws continues to insist that we treat the complex and dynamic forests of India as a pristine ecosystem that should be free of human habitation