Libertatem Magazine Issue 2 | Page 26

The   Scheduled  Tribe  and   Other  Traditional   Forest   Dwellers   Hence,  as  can   be  deduced   from  above   the   Forest   Policy  of   (Recognition   of   Forest   Rights)   Act,   2006   (in   short   ‘the   1988,  unlike  the  previous  forest  laws,  recognised  the  rights   Forest  Rights  Act’)  was  enacted    to  recognise,  preserve  and   of  the  tribal  and  rural  people.  Later  in  the  year  1992  the  Rio   vest   certain   rights,   with   respect   to   forests   resources,     in   Conference   on   Sustainable   Development   took   place   Scheduled   Tribes   and   other   traditional   communities   through  which  India  became  a  signatory  to  Agenda  21.  The   dwelling.   The   Act   mainly   focuses   on   communities   and   main   objective   of   the   agenda   formulated   was   to   give   dwellers   that   have   been   prevalent   among   the   forest   areas   priority   to   sustainable   development   and   conservation   of   for  generations.  The  genesis  of   the  Forest  Rights   Act  can  be   the   flora   and   fauna   by   the   member   States.   Pressure   was   accorded   to   certain   factors   in   the   past.   One   such   factor   is   built  on  the  Centre  after  the  conference  to  conserve,  protect   the   evolution   of   the   forest   laws   in   India.   The   pre   colonial   and   preserve   the   forest   covers.   With   such   international   era  showed  no  evidences  of  any  codified  law  with  respect  to   pressure  the  need  to  involve  the  indigenous   dwellers   of  the   forests  in  India.  It  was  only  after  colonisation  by   the  British   forests   in   forest   conservation   was   felt   by   the   Centre.   This   Empire  that  there  was  a  realisation,  of  the  fact,  that  forests   was  soon  followed  by  the  Godavarman  v.  UOI  case    which   are   significant   and   exhaustible   and   there   is   a   need   to   led   to   the   apex   court   passing   numerous   orders   which   preserve/   conserve   it.   This   realisation   came   way   back   unfortunately   resulted   in   constraining   the   rights   of   the   during   the   mid   nineteenth   century   and   led   to   the   tribal  communities.   The  orders  were   interpreted   in   such  a   codification  of   the   first   Indian   Forest  Act   in   the  year   1865.   way   that   the   Ministry   of   Environment   and   Forest   (MoEF)   This   Act   was   passed   by   the   British   legislature   to   bring   started   evicting   the   forest   dwellers   and   this   led   a   great   forests   under   the   control   of   the   State.   An   amendment   of   uproar   among   the   tribal   and   traditional   dwellers.   This   the  Act  in  the  year  1878  also  focussed  on  the  same  motive.   uproar   caused   a   bit   of   concern   to   the   Centre   and   soon,   Soon,  all   policies  and  circulars   passed   by   the   British,  with   discussions   started   being   held   by   the   National