AID was founded in 1982. The aim of AID is to fight poverty and give strength to people to participate in grassroots democracy in India. It provides support and technical assistance to community working for total transformation.
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This project is supported by European Union and Alternative For India Development, UK (AID UK)

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Forest is the source of life and livelihood of Munda Tribes in Khunti region. It is located in Ranchi district in the state of Jharkhand in India. It forms the base of their society and culture. They are not just the stakeholders but the rights holder of their ancestral forests. The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) provides them a legal protection and ensures community ownership and management rights over khuntkatti areas.

With changing times, the change in the traditional self governance system of tribals has been felt in the recent years.
The Jharkhand government should recognize tribals as the only owners of their ancestral forest, land and water that were forcibly taken over from their fore parents by the British colonial state. Steps should be taken to revive the pre British condition and restore the ownership and management rights of forests to them. The Mundari Khuntkatti forests, which were illegally taken over by the forest department as Private Protected Forests under the pretext of managing them ‘scientifically’, should be restored to the rightful owners at once. The Protected Forests of the British era, which were actually the village forests, should be given back to the respective villages they belonged to without further delay.
The state government should bestow the rights of forest management to the Gram Sabhas as provided under PESA and the Jharkhand Panchyati Raj Bill to bestow the rights of forest

Tribals are the people of the forests. Their traditional institutions are closer to the forests than the forest department. Therefore, only they can protect and regenerate forests. The forest department has lost its credibility. It has failed miserably to protect forests. It should therefore, give up its claim as the owner and manager of the forests.
One should note that the sustainable development of forests can only take place when we establish harmony between forests and the people who dwell there. Any kind of interference will result in social conflict and resentment, whether it is hoolgulan of Birsa Munda a century ago or the present day formation of Khuntkatti Raksha Manch to protect their self rights.
 

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