Key points: Upholding historical and traditional practices Urgently protecting village commons Immediately taking corrective actions against encroachments No justification for condoning illegal possession of village land Regularisation of construction only in exceptional cases

1. SUPREME COURT ‘COMMONS JUDGEMENT’
Analysis
By
Shalini Bhutani & Kanchi Kohli

2. Jagpal Singh & Others
Versus
State of Punjab & Others
Civil Appeal No.1132/2011 @ SLP No. 3109/2011
by
Justices Markandey Katju & Gyan Sudha Mishra
28th January 2011
Commons Judgement 2

3.  Key points:
- Upholding historical and traditional practices
- Urgently protecting village commons
- Immediately taking corrective actions against
encroachments
- No justification for condoning illegal possession of
village land
- Regularisation of construction only in exceptional
cases
Commons Judgement 3

4.  Key TO DO:
State administration to comply with directions,
- DEVELOP SCHEMES
- SUBMIT COMPLIANCE REPORTS
1. speedy eviction
2. restoration of village commons
Commons Judgement 4

5.  Analysis of the judgement
FES’ Blog: http://claim-for-commons.blogspot.in/
List serve: commonscase
 Implementation by the states
Six Issues of the ‘The Case of the Commons’
 Policy recommendations
Policy Brief
Commons Judgement 5

6. Constitutional Provisions
 Directive Principles of State Policies
The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards
securing –
Article 39 (b) …that the ownership and control of the
material resources of the community are so distributed
as best to subserve the common good;
6

7. Constitutional Provisions
 Directive Principles of State Policies
The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards
securing –
Article 39 (c) …that the operation of the economic
system does not result in the concentration of wealth
and means of production to the common detriment;
7

8.  Constitutional Amendments: 73rd
XI Schedule ‘Maintenance of Community Assets’
 Existing Panchayat Acts
Jharkhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2001
Commons Judgement 8

9. Which, Where?
Include ‘wastelands’ and grazing lands
15-25% of entire landmass of the country
NSS 54th Round Jan-Jun 1998 Survey on CPRs
Commons Judgement 9

10. 1. Use of Existing Schemes & Mechanisms
Manipur & Jharkhand
2. New Laws, Rules & Legal Amendments
Mizoram, HP & AP/T
3. New Orders, Policies & Programmes
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala & Gujarat
Commons Judgement 10

11. 1. Precedent-setting
2. People’s movements
Commons Judgement 11

12. Basic
 Definitional Diversity
 Government Lands as Common Lands
 Land-centric Administrative Approach
Access, Ownership & Multiple Claims
Implementation Challenges…records, follow-through,
devolution to local bodies
Demands: Industrial needs, Urban expansion, Land
redistribution against the commons
Commons Judgement 12

13. Not just land and water commons
Commons Judgement 13