The presentation questions the current and future policy directions with respect to the Scheduled Tribes and Forest in India. It also suggests a model for future direction. This presentation was made to the senior Indian Forest Officers in Indira National Forest Academy,Dehradun

1. Forest Land and Rights of Tribal March 16, 2010 Dr. Avanish Kumar Public Policy Management Email: [email_address]

3. Key Concerns

4. Development Social Inequity Source: Planning Commision,2008 Incidence of overall under-nutrition (under weight) is significantly higher among ST children than among others. ST children also have a much higher incidence of anaemia. Incidence of stunting and wasting much higher among ST children. The proportion of ST children, aged 12-23 months who received basic vaccinations, is much lower than the rest of the population. 18% STs 51 % Deliveries in a health facility 43.8 STs 36.1 Infant mortality rate (2005/6 National Family Health Survey 3 ) 47% Rajasthan 37% Orissa 37% Andhra Pradesh 52% Chhattisgarh 41% Madhya Pradesh 41% Jharkhand 28% Bihar 47% Overall for tribal people 65% Proportion of literates (Census 2001 National Average

6. Report of National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, Government of India, 2005 Health Inequity

8. Tribes Development is not necessarily forest Dependent/Philanthropy Low Cost Technology, Equitable Market and Inclusive Policies Strengthen Culture Nature Nurture

11. Policy Assumptions Before 31 st December 2008 and After 4 th November 2009 - ? Homogeneous Management Capability Panchayat “ Whose Brain & Brawn” Homogeneous demands of forest/land products Tribes “ Stomach of Poor” Homogeneous Supply of public good Forest “ Lungs of Earth” Assumptions Stakes

12. Key Challenges

13. Contextualizing Tribes and Forests Incentives Adopted from Olson Forest Tribes Key Incentives Purposive incentives - Accomplishment of a significant goal for the common good Solidarity incentives - Intangible rewards available only to coalition members Material incentives -Rewards of money, products, jobs, collective platform

14. Contextualizing Tribes & Forests Partnership Adopted form Ostrom High Medium Low Key Activities Dispersion - extent to which members live in geographic proximity to one another Homogeneity - extent to which overlaps in knowledge, interest, status Multiple Function - extent to which social relationships serve economic and emotions Reciprocity - extent to which resource/support are both given and received

16. Value of Public Good + Selective Benefits - Cost of Participation = Individual Benefits Contextualizing Tribes & Forests Concern and Consequence

17. 165 Districts Now 222 Contextualizing Tribes & Forests Concern and Consequence

18. Common Endeavor

21. Evolve a New School of Thought Realistic Tribes & Peasants exercise sovereign rights over woodland Populist Guha,1990 State Management of ecologically sensitive & strategically valuable Forest, allowing other areas to remain under communal system of management Pragmatic Total State Control over forest Annexationist

26. “ The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them”… Albert Einstein Thank You !