16 villages in the Hasdeo Arand forests in north Chhattisgarh held gram sabhas in December 2014, to express opposition to being displaced for proposed coal mining in their region. They also urged the government to implement the PESA and Forest Rights Acts. The two laws recognise the rights of local adivasi and forest-dwelling communities, and mandate their involvement in decision-making around natural resources, including their consent to proposals for destruction of forests.
Resolutions and photograph, courtesy the Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, a village-level organisation set up to protect the Hasdeo Arand forests, and lands and livelihoods of the area's communities.
Also see: Not Just A Coal Block
