Small-scale Forestry

, Volume 12, Issue 1, pp 107–124 | Cite as

Resisting Rights: Forest Bureaucracy and the Tenure Transition in India

  • Oliver Springate-Baginski
  • Madhu Sarin
  • M. Gopinath Reddy
Research Paper
First Online:
Accepted:

Abstract

A global ‘forest tenure transition’ is underway, with declining state tenure of previously appropriated forested landscapes and increasing citizen tenure. However, at the local level the process involves complex political-economic struggles with the incumbent power holders. This paper examines these struggles, taking the example of India’s Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (or simply Forest Rights Act). Considering the implementation processes in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the extent to which rural people in forest areas have been able to access the provisions of the Act is assessed. Based on fieldwork from 2010, weaknesses are identified in the way legislated rights are being secured, and the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department staffs are found to obstruct the democratic mandate for reform. It is concluded that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department is operating beyond the normal processes of democratic control and oversight in a bid to retain its hegemony.

Keywords

Forest Rights Act Andhra Pradesh Livelihoods Community forest management Bureaucracy 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This paper is based on a research project managed by the School of International Development, University of East Anglia, and supported under the ‘Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth’ Research Programme Consortium managed by Manchester University which was financially supported by the Department for International Development, UK Government. Various additional contributions to the study were from Soumitra Ghosh (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, Siliguri); Purnamita Dasgupta (Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi); Indranil Bose (St. Xaviers College, Kolkata); Ajit Banerjee (Independent); Kailas Sarap, (Economics Dept. Sambalpur University); Pradeep Misra and Sricharan Behera, (Vasundhara, Bhubaneswar); and P. Trinadh Rao (Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad). We are grateful to Steve Harrison, the editor of SSF, for his very helpful suggestions, and also the editors of this special issue, who have also given a great deal of help to finalise this paper.

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Copyright information

© Steve Harrison, John Herbohn 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Oliver Springate-Baginski
    • 1
  • Madhu Sarin
    • 2
  • M. Gopinath Reddy
    • 3
  1. 1.School of International DevelopmentUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
  2. 2.Independent Policy AnalystChandigarhIndia
  3. 3.Centre for Economic and Social StudiesHyderabadIndia

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