Bhubaneswar: Tribals who are predominantly known as forest dwellers have always been struggling to either assert their rights over their land or protect their land from being taken away by diverse forces that are constantly seeking newer avenues to move forward and bank on easy ways for investments. A recent decision of the state cabinet to allow transfer of tribal land to non-tribals for purposes other than the usual agriculture activities, created flutters across various sections of the society. It was no doubt, revoked immediately and greater consensus was sought on it.
But in the forefront of ensuring the rights of tribal people over their land is commissioner-cum-secretary of SC & ST Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department, Odisha, Ms Roopa Roshan Sahoo, who is a staunch believer of tribal communities having the land and forest resource rights, as forests are critical for their life and livelihood.
Banking on the large amount of first-hand lived narratives, she has been collecting through her frequent visits to the tribal dominated areas and direct interactions with various stakeholders on the ground, she advocates for these tribal communities when it comes to formulating and implementing any policies for them. She takes personal interest to safeguard their rights over forest land and resources, which is evident from various steps taken in recent times.
Comments are closed.