Forest Rights Act Implementation in Jharkhand: Field Notes
A legal awareness workshop on the rights of forest dwellers, held in Jharkhand, highlighted contradictions between law and its implementation. The low legal consciousness among participants, combined with bureaucratic inefficiency and social marginalisation - notably that of Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) - have left them unable to claim their legal entitlements. The workshop underscored the need for legal support, community outreach, and accountability to enable forest communities to access their rights in a meaningful way.