Adivasi Land Rights Movement (ALRM) Work Plan for 2010 to 2011

WORK PLAN FOR PROMOTING & STRENGTHENING OF ADIVASI LAND RIGHTS MOVEMENT (ALRM) IN TAMILNADU TO IMPLEMENT FOREST RIGHTS ACT 2006 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EKTA PARISAD – TAMILNADU
Adivasi Land Rights Movement (ALRM) Work Plan for 2010 to 2011
Context of ALRM:
1.1.0 Introduction:
1.1.1 The 90 million people belonging to "Scheduled Tribes" in India are generally considered to be 'Adivasis', literally meaning 'indigenous people' or 'original inhabitants', though the term 'Scheduled Tribes' (STs) is not coterminous with the term 'Adivasis'. Scheduled Tribes is an administrative term used for purposes of 'administering' certain specific constitutional privileges, protection and benefits for specific sections of peoples considered historically disadvantaged and 'backward'.
1.1.2 However, this administrative term does not exactly match all the peoples called 'Adivasis'. Out of the 5653 distinct communities in India, 635 are considered to be 'tribes' or 'Adivasis'.

1.1.3 For practical purposes, the United Nations and multilateral agencies generally consider the STs as 'indigenous peoples'. With the ST population making up 8.10% (as of 2001 Census) of the total population of India, it is the nation with the highest concentration of ‘indigenous peoples’ in the world!
1.2.0 Understanding Adivasis in India:
1.2.1 Back in history, the Adivasis were in effect self-governing 'first nations'. In general and in most parts of the pre-colonial period, they were nationally part of the 'unknown frontier' of the respective states where the rule of the reign in fact did not extend, and the Adivasis governed themselves outside of the influence of the particular ruler.
1.2.2 Historically the Adivasis, as explained earlier, are at best perceived as sub-humans to be kept in isolation, or as 'primitives' living in remote and backward regions who should be "civilized". None of them have a rational basis. Consequently, the official and popular perception of Adivasis is merely that of isolation in forest, tribal dialect, animism, primitive occupation, carnivorous diet, naked or semi-naked, nomadic habits, love, drink and dance. Contrast this with the self-perception of Adivasis as casteless, classless and egalitarian in nature, community-based economic systems, symbiotic with nature, democratic according to the demands of the times, accommodative history and people-oriented art and literature.
1.2.3 The significance of their sustainable subsistence economy in the midst of a profit oriented economy is not recognized in the political discourse, and the negative stereotyping of the sustainable subsistence economy of Adivasi societies is based on the wrong premise that the production of surplus is more progressive than the process of social reproduction in co-existence with nature.
1.2.4 The source of the conflicts arises from these unresolved contradictions. With globalisation, the hitherto expropriation of rights as an outcome of development has developed into expropriation of rights as a precondition for development. In response, the struggles for the rights of the Adivasis have moved towards the struggles for power and a redefinition of the contours of state, governance and progress.
1.2.5 A process of marginalization today, the total forest cover in India is reported to be 765.21 thousand sq. kms. of which 71% are Adivasis areas. Of these 416.52 sq. kms are declared as Wild Life Sanctuaries and 223.30 thousand sq. kms. are categorised as reserved and protected forests respectively. About 23% of these are further declared as Wild Life Sanctuaries and National Parks which alone has displaced some half a million Adivasis. By the process of colonisation of the forests that began formally with the Forest Act of 1864 and finally the Indian Forest Act of 1927, the rights of Adivasis were reduced to mere privileges conferred by the state.
1.3.0: Understand about Tamilnadu state:
Tamil Nadu State has a population of 62,405,679 as per Census 2001 and covers an area of 130,058 sq.kms. Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the State Headquarters. The administrative units of the State are:




No of District 32
No of Revenue Divisions 76
No of Taluks 220
No of Firkas 1,127
No of Revenue Villages 16,564
No of Municipal Corporations 10
No of Municipalities 148
No of Panchayat Unions (Blocks) 385
No of Town Panchayats 561
No of Village Panchayats 12,618
No of Lok Sabha Constituencies 39
No of Assembly Constituencies 234
1.4. Understanding Adivasis in Tamilnadu
1.4.1. Of the 300 million indigenous peoples in the world, 100 million live in India constituting 10 % of the total population of the country. There are 6,51,321 Adivasis living in Tamilnadu, 48.97% being women and 51.03% men, constituting 1.03% of the Tamilnadu population. In term of Adivasi population, Tamilnadu ranks 16th in the country, being home to 0.85% of the national Adivasi population. Adivasis communities in Tamil Nadu are largely concentrated in 18 districts namely Vellore, Villupuram, Nammakkal, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Trichi, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Erodu, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tiruvallaur, Krishanakiri, Kanniyakumari, Nilgiris, Kanchipuram and many adivasis groups have been displaced to the plains.
District-wise population of Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu Census 2001)
Sl. No District Total
Population Scheduled Tribes % of
District Total
Rural Urban Total
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 Chennai 4,343,645 - 6,728 6,728 0.15
2 Kancheepuram 2,877,468 18,062 8,446 26,508 0.92
3 Tiruvallur 2,754,756 28,885 8,973 37,858 1.37
4 Cuddalore 2,285,395 7,241 4,532 11,773 0.52
5 Villupuram 2960373 61,687 2,233 63,920 2.16
6 Vellore 3,477,317 58,237 4,803 63,040 1.81
7 Tiruvannamalai 2,186,125 69,198 3,562 72,760 3.33
8 Salem 3,016,346 98,722 5,199 103,921 3.45
9 Namakkal 1,493,462 50,454 962 51,416 3.44
10 Dharmapuri 2,856,300 57,763 1,786 59,549 2.08
11 Erode 2,581,500 15,120 2,573 17,693 0.69
12 Coimbatore 4,271,856 19,559 9,544 29,103 0.68
13 The Nilgiris 762,141 19,600 8,773 28,373 3.72
14 Tiruchirapalli 2,418,366 14,383 4,529 18,912 0.78
15 Karur 935,686 1,075 375 1,450 0.15
16 Perambalur 1189170 10675 1161 11836 1.90
17 Pudukkottai 1,459,601 432 360 792 0.05
18 Thanjavur 2,216,138 1,302 2,339 3,641 0.16
19 Nagapattinam 1,488,839 1,618 1,802 3,420 0.23
20 Tiruvarur 1,169,474 971 1,702 2,673 0.23
21 Madurai 2,578,201 2,054 3,918 5,972 0.23
22 Theni 1,093,950 1,046 640 1,686 0.15
23 Dindigul 1,923,014 3,512 2,972 6,484 0.34
24 Ramanathapuram 1,187,604 396 682 1,078 0.09
25 Virudhunagar 1,751,301 953 1,404 2,357 0.13
26 Sivagangai 1,155,356 375 708 1,083 0.09
27 Tirunelveli 2,723,988 3,202 5,156 8,358 0.31
28 Thoothukudi 1,572,273 1,060 2,434 3,494 0.22
29 Kanniyakumari 1,676,034 3,561 1,882 5,443 0.32
STATE 62,405,679 551,143 100,178 651,321 1.04
Source : DCS, 2003
1.4.2. The Central government has listed 36 Adivasi communities residing in Tamilnadu, of which 14 numerically dominant groups form 96.33% of the state’s Adivasi population. Only two communities, namely the Malayalis and Irulars, have a population size exceeding 100,000 persons and together from 68.88% of the total state Adivasi population. Three communities, namely the Kattunayakans, Kondareddies and Kurumans have a population exceeding 10,000 persons; nine communities have population between 3,000 to 10,000 persons, and 22 communities are classified as small populations of 2000 persons or less, with 16 communities numbering less than 1,000 persons each and five less than 100 persons.
Tribal Population in Tamilnadu and their Eco Region based Habitations
Adivasi community Habitat with District and its Eco region or mountain Population
1. Adiyan Tamilnadu area near Kerala border, wayanadu and Kannur district of Kerala and Kudagu district of Karnataka 2230
2. Aranadan Tamilnadu area near Kerala border and Kerala 44
3. Irular Nilkiri Irular: Anaimalai, Maruthamalai, Siruvani, Mettupalayam, Irular in Plain: Ganjipuram, Vellore, Chengalpattu, Selam, Dharmapuri, THiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts 155606
4. Ooralai Ellakkai Malai, Mukkudal area which Kerala, Karanataka and Tamilnadu hills areas were connected. Especially Sathiyamanagalam, Thiruvithangoor, and Kochin areas 9116
5. Eravalan Pollachi and Udumalaipettai taluks of Kovai dt, Kanyakumari, Thirunelveli district in scattered nature 1554
6. Kaniyan Most of the people living in Kanyakumari dt, Thirunelveli, Covai to Chennai were in scattered nature 1660
7. Kammara Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhrapredesh areas in scattered nature 593
8. Kattunaiyakkan Nilkiris, Mudumalai, Other district in Tamilnadu, Keral 45227
9. Kadar Nilkiris, Aanaimalai, Parambikulam, Perumparai 568
10. Kanikkaran Kaniyakumari and Kerala 3136
11.Kudiyar, Malaikudi Tamilnadu and Karnataka border hills, and Kudagu dt of Karnataka 126
12. Kuruchian Krishnakiri dt in Tamilnadu and Kerala 3168
13. Kurumbar Nilkiris, Malabar, Vaiyanadu, and Mysore 5498
14. Kuruman Most of the people lived in Dharmapuri, Vellore, Kirishnakiri dt, Some of them were in Mettor taluks of Salem dt 24963
15. Kochuvellan Near Thiruvedangoor area of Tamilnadu border 133
16. Kondakapu Tamilnadu and Andhrapradesh in scattered nature 516
17. Kondareddy Most of the people lived in Mettor, Bhavani, Idippadi, Pennagaram taluks, and some of the lived in Madurai, Thirunelveli, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Puduchery in scattered nature 19653
18. Korar Near Thiruvedangoor areas of Tamilnadu border, Kazarkodu dt of Kerala, South Kannada dt, and the near areas of Tamilnadu borders 159
19. Kothar Nilkiris 925
20. Chollagar Pargoor Hills (Bhavani), Billikiri Rangan Hills, Matheswaran Hills of Karanataka. This people lived in both Tamilnadu and Karanataka states. 3853
21. Thothavar Nilkiri 1560
22. Palliyan Palani hills 1525
23. Palleiyan Palani hills, Madurai dt 339
24. Palliyar Lawer Palani hills of Madurai dt, Uppar Palani hills, Ellakkai Hills, Sirumalai, Kodai hills, Varushanadu hills, Periyaru Hills, Iddukki dt of Kerala 3052
25. Paniyan Guddalore taluk of Nilkiri dt, Kozhikodu, Malappuram taluks of Kerala, Kudagu dt of karanataka 9121
26. Mahamalasar Covai, Udumalaipettai, Dindugal area hills 183
27. Malasar Anaimalai, Kerala area 6043
28. Malai araiyan Covai, Kottaiyam dt of kerala 499
29. Malaikuravan Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kerala hill areas 18296
30. Malaipandaram Kanyakumari, Kollam dt areas of Kerala 3156
31. Malaiyakandi Tamilnadu, Kerala 464
32. Maliyalli Kolli Hill, Pachimalai, Servarayan Hills, Ellakiri Hills, Javathu Hills, Sitheri Hills, Kalrayan hills, Palamalai Hills 310042
33. Malaivedan Mothiramalai of Kalkulam taluks and Villavankodu taluks in Kanyakumari dt is the ancient birth place. Now they are living in scattered nature 6411
34. Mannaan Madurai, Kodaikannal, Elakkaimalai 82
35. Muthuvan Anaimalai, Ellakkaimalai in Tamilnadu, Thiruvethangoor, Kochi area of Kerala state 339
36. Muduvan, Mudukar Anaimalai (Covai), Kannan thevan malaikal, Ellakkaimalai, and Kerala 1297

Adivasi communities are largely concentrated 15 districts, including Chennai, most of them residing in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats, in the area extending from Erodu to Kanyakumari in the west and in the area of Tiruchirappali, Nammakkal, Salem, Dharapuri and Vellore in the east.
1.4.3. Within the listed Tamilnadu Adivasi communities, the Kattunayakan, Kota, Kurumba, Irular, Paniyan and Toda communities, numbering 1,58,000 have been identified as ‘primitive tribal groups, due to their pre – agricultural level of technology, low literacy and stagnant or diminishing number .
1.4.4 The Present Status of Adivasis in Tamilnadu :
Adivasis, who are scattered in western Ghats and eastern ghats, lived in small hamlets who are in search of their lost identity, livelihood resources, healthy food habits, rich traditional heritage, access to herbal medicines and minor forest produce. They are forced to live in plains, reduced to the level of plantation workers or agricultural coolies in their ancestral land.
1.4.4.1. Basic Amenities:
Even after 63 years of Independence, hill tribes in Tamilnadu have not secured their basic amenties like housing, protected drinking water, Street light, link roads, schools, Primary health centre and proper marketing facilities
1.4.4.2. Payment of minimum wages:
Remuneration paid to the tribels by the plantation and Land owners and contractors is far below the wages fixed by the minimum wages act.
1.4.4.3. Forest Department:
The practices of forest department auctioning forest produce gave way to contractors and middlemen resulting in the deprivation of the traditional rights of tribal community.
1.4.4.4. Atrocities on Tribals:
Since the Adivasis are not organised and continued to be week they became easy victims of forest officials and local land lords. Victimisation and and abuse of women by the officials and local landlords are quite common.
1.4.4.5. Health Issue:
Most Adivasis live in poor hygienic condition resulting in various problems such as infant mortality, nutritional status, fertility, neo-natal mortality, post-natal mortality, peri-natal mortality, poor life-expectancy etc. The inadequacy of public health care delivery system, poor preventive measures, insufficient income and high consumption of tobacco and alcohol have led Adivasis to an unhealthy life. Comparing to the earnings of Adivasis, the expenditure on health is a heavy burden which keeps Adivasis living in a poor health conditions.
1.4.4.6. Extreme Poverty and Hunger:
The Adivasis in India live under extreme poverty and hunger because the majority of them do not have land for cultivation. The Adivasis do not have the habit of saving money. Most of the displaced Adivasis are denied of their right to live in forest which used to be their source of livelihood. Now they depend only on daily manual work to meet their expenses.
1.4.4.7. The major political issue in Tamil Nadu for adivasis is the non-implementation of V schedule and new panchayat extension Act 1996. The corporate sector is making hectic attempts to alienate adivasis from their land and to scrap the V schedule as it gives powers to adivasis to prohibit the outsiders into the adivasis areas.
1.4.4.8. Development of tourism, Hydropower projects, large scale plantation units, mining industries, mono cropping and cash cropping patterns, agro industrial chemical pollution. Encroachment of adivasis lands by non- adivasis and exploitation of forest resources in a massive way have resulted in serious ecological and environmental problems and in loss of bio–diversity.
1.4.4.9. The announcement of forest covers as Tiger Sanctuaries, National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries threatens the forest adivasi to quit from their forest dwellings and livelihood resources. The promises of the State to pay huge compensations, forcible eviction of the adivasis for mining activities of the State are other threats adivasis face today.
1.5.0 Forest Rights Act 2006:
1.5.1 The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 , is a key piece of forest legislation passed in India on December 18, 2006. It has also been called the "Forest Rights Act", the "Tribal Rights Act" and the "Tribal Land Act." The law concerns the rights of forest dwelling communities to land and other resources, denied to them over decades as a result of the continuance of colonial forest laws in India.
1.5.2 Supporters of the Act claim that it will redress the "historical injustice" committed against forest dwellers, while including provisions for making conservation more effective and more transparent. The demand for the law has seen massive national demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of people.
1.5.3 However, the law has also been the subject of considerable controversy in the English press in India. Opponents of the law claim it will lead to massive forest destruction and should be repealed.
1.5.4 A little over one year after it was passed, the Act was notified into for on December 31, 2007. On January 1, 2008, this was followed by the notification of the Rules framed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to supplement the procedural aspects of the Act. In these 12 months, December 2006 to December 2007, adivasis in various forest areas of the country have been subject to systematic assaults by the forest department and a host of other forces, who did not like the idea of India's forest resources being controlled by the forest dwellers. Thousands of people living in forest areas for generations in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamilnadu and elsewhere battled eviction attempts, and in many cases, were brutally evicted, their villages burnt or bulldozed, people tortured, harassed and arrested in false cases simply because they had demanded forest rights.
1.5.5 Paying no heed to laws passed by a sovereign country's Parliament, a handful of forest bureaucrats, continued to tyrannize the rightful owners of Indian forests. While on the ground forest officials denied the very existence of the Forest Rights Act, the Ministry of Environment and Forests,(MoEF) Government of India, issued a guideline to State Forest Departments, to identify 'inviolate' Critical Wildlife Habitats as defined in the Act! The Act was not notified, and neither had the rights settlement process prescribed in the Act started anywhere. This did not stop the MoEF from issuing the completely illegal guidelines. Not to be left behind, the State Forest Departments notified 'inviolate' tiger habitats in several states, claiming that the rights provided in the Forest Rights Act will not apply to such notified areas.
1.5.6 The forest communities of this independent country expects that, with notification of the Forest Rights Act, the implementation of the Forest Rights Act must start in right earnest, giving full primacy to the Gramsabhas. The notification of the Act is a welcoming move but the Rules for the Act are still extremely vague and sketchy, and these do not clear the ambiguities latent in the original Act. Demand is that suitable Amendments are brought to the Forest Rights Act, to include the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, and to ensure that all genuine forest dwellers of the country come under it, and rights enshrined in the Act do not get in any way compromised by interference from Government Officials.
1.5.7 In the above mentioned context, Adivasi Land Rights Movement (ALRM) with its like minded activist groups has taken up the task of widespread campaigning of Forest Rights Act 2006 among the adivasis and the Officials with the Gramsabha members in between.
2. Profile of ALRM Member Group and its Like Minded Tribal Activist Group:
2.1. Adivasi Land Right Movement (ALRM) is a small attempt initiated by ARUDECS (All Rural Development and Social Construction Society, Theni among Paliyan Tribes in Bodi – Agamalai Hills of Theni district from 2004 onwards. Last 6 years of involvement with Paliyan Adivais, ARUDECS promoted a cadre based People’s Organisation called Adivasi Land Right Movement - Theni, formerly known as Bodi & Agamalai Adivasis Paliyar Federation (BAAPF) with strength of over 15000 members constituted by 20 settlements.
2.2. ARUDECS is also actively involved Campaign for the proper implementation of Forest Rights Act 2007 at Bodi Agamalai Hills of Western Ghats in Theni district with support of ARUDECS. Activities carried out are as follow:
• Two Awareness Camp and Training for Youth and Village Leaders on FRA 2006 during the year 2008 - 2009
• Formation of Adivasi traditional Gramsabha in 15 tribal hamlets
• Two village level Resource Mapping excercise conducted through PRA Techniques
• 800 Claim Forms prefared and submitted to the district administration.
• 45 bonded labour families were released and rehabilitated from landlord, Bodi with the guidance of ARUDECS.
• 5 atrocity cases against women and Dalits was filed and won the legal battle against the upper caste people.
• District forest rights committee – Theni was formed by district administration working close contact with ARUDECS for implementing FRA 2006.
• 300 paliyan Adivasi family got community certificate with the support of ARUDECS.

2.3. ARUDECS is technically and conceptually supported by a group of like minded tribal activists namely
1. P.V.Rajagobalji, National President – EKTA Parishad
2. T.Marirajan, Research & Activist and he leading a state wide campaign against globalization related livelihood issues in Tamilnadu
3. K. Biju, Coordinator, Centre for Socio-Cultural Interaction (CESCI), Madurai
4. S. Dhanaraj, Lawer & Tribal activist working for the speedy implementation of FRA 2006 in Tamilnadu
5. Mr.Nagalingam, a leading labour activist and core team member of EKTA Parisad – Tamilnadu
6. Ms.Sivarani, Ecological farming specialist

2.4. ARUDECS, and Like Minded Tribal Activists works together for promoting EKTA – Parisad, Tamilnadu for the wider campaign on Forest Rights Act 2006 all over the state. It also focused regional issues at the district level or Eco region level by promoting and strengthening of Adivasi Land Rights Movement (ALRM) to fight for the traditional and customary rights adivasis in Tamilnadu.
2.4. Formation of Adivasi team among Existing EKTA – Parisad, Tamilnadu Setup:
A separate planning meeting for developing workplan for promoting and strengthening of ALRM was held at CECSI, Madurai on 22nd May 2010. 9 participants took part the meeting. The tribal situation in Tamilnadu and the implementation of FRA 2006 was discussed during the meeting. End of the meeting, EKTA – Parisad, Tamilnadu Adivasi team was selected. The following persons were elected as members, namely P.R.Raja, G.Nagalingam, S.Dhanaraj, S.Jegadesan, T.Marirajan and Pappathi (Women Leader from Paliyan Tribes).
3. Goals and Objectives of ALRM
3.1. The vision of ALRM is to ensure the rights of forest adivasis, their lives and livelihoods.
3.2. The wider objective of ALRM is to empower adivasis with active participation for improved and sustainable management of natural resources including forest for secured livelihood, governance of forest and tree resources, protection of their forest rights, land rights and customary rights on forest and other entitlements.
3.3. The objectives of ALRM are:
• To mobilize Adivasi community into a movement for protection of their rights in the present complex socio-Political condition.
• Wider campaigning of Forest Rights Act 2006 in all forest adivasi areas to reduce the information gaps.
• Empowering gramsabhas to take decisions on their community development processes and understanding the Forest Rights Act 2006, the roles and responsibilities of gramsabhas;
• To empower the Adivasis on their rights to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage and community forest resource, which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.
• Organising and capacitating adivasis across the state to protest against on-going exploitation and displacement due to so called industrialisation through the active participation of Janasatygraha 2012 jointly with other EKTA Parisad Units in all over India;

3.4. Primary Focus:
The ALRM has planned to focus primarily on Campaign on Forest Rights Act 2006 and to Preparing Jansatyagraha 2012.
3.4.1. Preparing Jansatyagraha 2012:
EKTA Parishad is going to organize one-year foot march of Jansatyagraha 2012 is a vital event at national level as well as the state chapter of Tamilnadu to achieve the traditional and customary rights of Adivasis. The main objective of this event is to gather 100,000 people on the 2nd of October 2012 in front of the Parliament, for the recognition and application of the rights to the natural resources of the most destitute people.
Adivasis team of EKTA Parisad, Tamilnadu already promised to Rajaji during the time of his visit to CESCI, Madurai to participate with 5000 cadres from all over Tamilnadu. During the planning meeting held at CESCi on 22nd May 2010, the team discussed the mobilization process to Janasatyagraha 2012. 18 eco regions were already identified for cadre building work

3.5. PRIORITIES
The priorities of action are forming grass root level Eco Region based Collective to facilitate the Adivasis to register as an organized co-operatives at district level to ensure their right over minor forest produce; to be informed about Forest Rights Act 2006; and to document traditional and customary rights in Gram sabha resolutions by the Adivasis themselves for the better implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006.
Adivasi habitats in Tamilnadu were divided in to 18 eco regions. The names of the Eco regions were as follows.
Eco regions in Western Ghats:
1. Pachiparai 2. Manimutharu, Kalakkadu, Mundanthurai 3. Sathurakiri, Sirumalai 4. Kuthiraimalai 5. Varusanadu 6. Bodi – Agamalai 7. Uppar and Lower Palani Hills 8. Valparai, Top Slip 9. Thirumoorthimalai, Amaravathi, Thalinchi 10. Sathiyamangalam 11. Thalavadi, Yanaikatti 12. Ooty, Kothakiri, Gudaloor,
Eco Regions in Eastern ghats
13. Kollimalai 14. Kalrayan hills 15. Pachamalai 16. Javathu Hills 17. Erkadu 18. Ellakiri hills

3.6. Strategies:
The following strategies were planned to implement the work plan during the year 2010 to 2011.
3.6.1. Strategy 1: Information collection and identification of grass root level tribal activists and community leaders
• Data collection through known source or contacts
• Consultation meeting for selected participants
• Spot Visit with selected participants

3.6.2. Strategy II: organizing and strengthening of Eco region Level forums
• Strengthening of Grama Sabhas and Communities
• Capacity building for forest right committees
• Formation of Eco Region Level forums to monitoring of FRA work
• Capacity Building of Eco region level forum or Federation Leaders
• Support for Adivasi cultural mela process with inter-village cultural activities to strengthen the self-confidence of Adivasis and to bring the spirit of the sustainable and equitable Adivasi forest life also to the awareness and recognition of the modern society.
• Strengthening of Local struggles and activists

3.6.3. Strategy III: Community based mass sensitization programme across the state for unifying adivasi communities to ensuring the traditional and customary rights.
• Coordination work for promoting ALRM at state level
• Campaigning through rallies, padiyatras, posters, statements, press releases, publications, etc.
• Organized a Public Hearing on Tribal issues and FRA
• Campaign / Lobby / Advocacy at the state and national level for land rights jointly with EKTA parisad

3.6.4. Strategy IV: Campaigning to protect, validate & legalise sustainable life practices of Adivasis :
• Sustainable ways how Adivasis live (by use of plants, trees, etc.) without eliminating the wild/natural renewal of plants, trees, etc.
• Sustainable Adivasi mode of holding/ownership of land/wilds/forests/indigenous knowledge& subsistence
• Subsistence of landless Adivasis (against contract farming/commercial plantation/cultivation)
• Formation of State resource centre for Adivasis in Tamilnadu

7. Expected Results
• Solidarity and unity among adivasi communities will be strengthened. Collective articulation of forest adivasis for equitable forest policy, strategies, law and regulation to ensure tribal and forest dependant community’s rights and entitlements.
• Adivasis networking and contacts will improve through collective efforts across the country.
• Awareness will improve natural resource management in adivasi communities.
• Bio-diversity in the forest adivasi area will be maintained through peoples’ initiatives.
• Organised pressure will be built up on the State to formulate policies on adivasi welfare and to implement FRA 2006.
• Adivasi Community resource mapping will be done to strengthen the claim forms of adivasi community rights over forest.
• Adivasi economies, cultures and traditional knowledge systems will be protected.
• Leadership will be developed among adivasi communities with enriched information sharing on Forest rights.
• Capacity will be built to resist so called development programmes and projects which result in displacement and forced migration of majority of people from their traditional motherland and livelihood resources.
• On the whole, 5000 Adivasi Youths and community leaders will take part Janasatyagraha 2012 from Tamilnadu.

Other Issues to Consider
• Though Forest Rights Act 2006 is considered one of the best legal provisions for the forest adivasis, the rules and regulations still have gaps. The lack of integrated approach in the National Law is also a stumbling block in the enforcement of FRA 2006.
• The National Wild Life Parks, Wild Life Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves poses eviction threat to adivasis from their forest dwellings and livelihood resources.
• The international development agenda and the process of globalisation, privatization and liberalisation also favours the vested interests of MNCs and their profit motives with gross exploitation of natural resources on contrary to the decentralized, subsistence and sustainable economy of the adivasis.