Tribals from across India gathered at Jantar Mantar on Thursday and pledged to intensify their agitation against the dilution of the Forest Rights Act (2006), while taking cognisance of a petition on which the Supreme Court had rejected land claims of over a million tribals. In an order issued on February 13, 2019, the apex court had issued directions to chief secretaries of 17 states to ensure that eviction was carried out in all cases where land ownership claims had been rejected. The order came in response to a petition filed by “conservation NGO”, Wildlife First, which claimed that everyone whose FRA claim had been rejected was an “encroacher” and should be evicted.
— source newsclick.in | 21 Nov 2019