SIO welcomes the central government’s decision to extend the consultation period for the proposed amendment to Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 up to November 1. The organisation had recently written a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climat Change (MoEF&CC) Shri Bhupendra Yadav, demanding extension of the consultation window to 15 weeks and availability of the draft amendments in non-English languages.

We further urge MoEF&CC to make the document available in 22 official languages to ensure inclusive and holistic engagement with all stakeholders. Participation of Citizens in the legislative process is the heartbeat of democracy. As the amendments are going to affect the tribal and indigenous people at large, we call for broad-based consultation with key stakeholders to arrive at a nuanced and balanced policy.

The earlier 15-day window was acutely short for any meaningful deliberations from the public. The non-availability of the proposed document in any other language except English is in violation of the 8th Schedule of the constitution, which recognises 22 official languages. In addition, there is no official press release which further adds to a growing trend of opaque consultations and autocratic decision making. The hollow slogans of development should never be a disguise for destroying for mass-scale exploitation of forests and displacement of Indigenous population.