AIZAWL, July 29 – The Mizoram Environment & Forest department has raked up a controversy by banning the collection and sale of bamboo shoots in tribal markets under the Forest Conservation Act 1985 which is a clear violation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006) or the FR Act in short.
Mizoram had passed the FR Act in 2009 and notified it in 2010, adopting in toto the guidelines under this Act as notified by the Government of India. By this the State had agreed to “ensure that the forest rights relating to Minor Forest Produce (MFP) under section 3(1) of the Act are recognised in respect of all MFPs, as defined under Section 2 (i) of the Act, in all forest areas, and State policies are brought in alignment with the provisions of the Act. Section 2 (i) of the Act defines the term “MFP” to include “all non-timber produce of plant origin, including bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers, and the like”. Carrying in headloads are allowed, for example. “There is no confusion here about the defination of MFP and the rights of the tribals to use what they own,” said an irritated government official.
Besides, as per the information on the website of the Mizoram Social Welfare department (SWD) , its Secretary is the declared noday agency by Government of India for implementation of the provisions of the FR Act and all the rules.
The SWD website also says that all the Village Councils in Mizoram have been assigned by the State Government the role of Gram Sabha for the purpose of implementation of the Act and rules, and all district level sub committees have been formed. “So, why is the Forest department officials obtusely refusing to follow the tribal law, ” wondered several persons spoken to.
The E &F dept apparently issued a notification last May after which tribals earning a meagre livelihood from the seasonal harvest from nature have been repeatedly harassed across the State. Matters came to a head in Serchip district on Saturday, Hat market day, when Forest officials and members of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) confiscated and destroyed bamboo shoots being sold by tribals and seizing their sales.
The bamboo shoot market is a very ‘tribal’ one with individuals hiking to the forests to gather them for sale in the markets to earn some extra money. Many families survive on these sales earning meager amounts for spending on medicines, school fees, books and other necessities.
“It’s the government which has commercialised bamboo shoots by selling bamboo mahals for the Cachar based paper mill and marketing in bulk by the Mizoram Food & Allied Industries Corporation Ltd (MiFCo). Why don’t they stop them first instead of whiplashing the marginalised people who have used it as their livelihood and diet since time immemorial, ” said a housewife.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of the district, Juhi Mukherjee has called an official meeting this week to get the situation clarified.