Forest Rights Struggles after FRA 2006: The Case of Dalhi Land in Raigad District, Maharashtra

ABSTRACT: Maharashtra is considered one of the leading states in India with regard to the implementation of the landmark Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Yet the struggles in the Raigad district of the Katkari tribe, formally categorized by the government as a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’, depicts the continuing difficulties in addressing structural marginalization. The FRA, 2006 legislated recognition of community and individual forest rights as an effective tool to undo the historical injustice inflicted by the colonial and post-colonial state. This study looks at the characterization of rights by the tribal community and forest governance institutions and the nature of contestations regarding indigenous forest rights. The discussion focuses on the land used by the Katkari tribe for dalhi cropping. Using both primary and secondary data sources, forest rights claims are analysed with respect to the history of the Katkari community in the region, their relationship with the forest, and the larger development practice context. The study also attempts to understand the implications of positions taken at multiple levels for indigenous people’s resource rights and the sustainability of livelihoods based on these resources. KEYWORDS: Forest rights, Forest Rights Act, Dalhi land, Katkari community, indigenous communit