FOREST POLICY

INTROCUCTION
A FOREST POLICY IS A POLICY FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR THE FORESTRY
ADMINISTRATION. BEING AN AGREEMENT AMONG GOVERNMENT AND
STAKEHOLDERS, A NATIONAL FOREST POLICY IS ENDORSED BY GOVERNMENT AND
IMPLEMENTED THROUGH LEGAL, ECONOMIC AND INFORMATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS, AND BY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE MEANS.
 WHAT IS COLONIALISM
COLONIALISM IS A PRACTICE OR POLICY OF CONTROL BY ONE NATION OVER THE
PEOPLE LIVING IN DIFFERENT AREAS OR COUNTRIES, OFTEN BY ESTABLISHING
COLONIES AND GENERALLY WITH THE AIM OF ECONOMIC DOMINANCE.

THE BRITISH CAME TO INDIA WITH THE MOTIVE OF COLONIZATION. THEIR PLANS
INVOLVED USING INDIA AS A FEEDER COLONY FOR THEIR OWN FLOURISHING
ECONOMY BACK AT BRITAIN
Q - WHY DID THE BRITISHERS NEEDED THE FORESTS?

• THEY NEEDED TIMBER SUPPLY TO BUILD THEIR SHIPS IN BRITAIN.

• THEY NEEDED TIMBER TO BUILD RAILWAY SLEEPERS AND RAILWAY LINES.

• THEY CLEARED OUT FORESTS TO MAKE WAY FOR TEA PLANTATIONS..

• THEY WANTED TO REGULATE THE CUTTING OF TREES AND PASSED LAWS RELATED TO IT.
 IMPACT OF COLONIALISM
DURING THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES, COLONIALISM HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIC,
SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL STRUCTURES OF INDIA IN VARIOUS WAYS.

ECONOMICALLY
• REPLACEMENT OF FOOD CROPS WITH COMMERCIAL CROPS: THE BRITISH INTRODUCED NEW FORMS OF
AGRICULTURE, SUCH AS INDIGO CULTIVATION, WHICH LED TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF TRADITIONAL
FARMING PRACTICES AND THE EXPLOITATION OF LOCAL FARMERS.

• EXPLOITATION OF INDIA’S RESOURCES: THE BRITISH ALSO ESTABLISHED A NETWORK OF RAILWAYS AND
PORTS, WHICH MADE EASIER THE EXPORT OF INDIAN RAW MATERIALS AND THE IMPORT OF
MANUFACTURED GOODS FROM BRITAIN.

• COMMERCIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE: THE AMOUNT OF LAND-LESS LABOURERS INCREASED DAY BY DAY.

THIS LED TO UNEMPLOYMENT OF MANY PEOPLE AND THEY HAD TO BORROW MONEY.
SOCIALLY
• EXPLOITING SOCIAL DIVISION: THE BRITISH IMPLEMENTED A SYSTEM OF CASTE-BASED
DISCRIMINATION, KNOWN AS THE "DIVIDE AND RULE" POLICY, WHICH EXACERBATED EXISTING
SOCIAL DIVISIONS AND LED TO THE MARGINALIZATION OF CERTAIN GROUPS.

• IMPOSING WESTERN THOUGHTS: THE BRITISH ALSO INTRODUCED WESTERN EDUCATION

AND VALUES, WHICH LED TO THE EMERGENCE OF A WESTERN-EDUCATED ELITE AND THE
EROSION OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PRACTICES

• MIGRATION: MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE FROM INDIA TO OTHER COLONIES THREATENED THE

CHANGE IN SOCIAL SYSTEM OF CASTE. IT ALSO INVOLVED THE OPPRESSION OF LABORERS BY
CURTAILING THEIR FREEDOM AND EXPLOITING THEM.
 POLITICAL

• INTRODUCTION OF PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: THE BRITISH INTRODUCED A SYSTEM OF

PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY, BUT THIS WAS ONLY AVAILABLE TO A SMALL ELITE MINORITY OF THE
POPULATION.

• CENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATION: THEY ALSO IMPOSED A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM OF

ADMINISTRATION, WHICH LED TO THE EROSION OF TRADITIONAL FORMS OF GOVERNANCE AND THE
LOSS OF LOCAL AUTONOMY.
 FOREST ACTS
INDIAN FOREST ACT, 1927
• THE INDIAN FOREST ACT, 1927 AIMED TO REGULATE THE MOVEMENT OF FOREST
PRODUCE, AND DUTY LEVIABLE FOREST PRODUCE.

• THIS ACT HAS DETAILS OF WHAT A FOREST OFFENCE IS, WHAT ARE THE ACTS PROHIBITED
INSIDE A RESERVED FOREST, AND PENALTIES LEVIABLE ON VIOLATION OF THE PROVISIONS
OF THE ACT.

• THE FOREST ACT WAS ENACTED IN 1865, IT WAS AMENDED TWICE BEFORE (1878 AND
1927)
 TYPES OF FORESTS
RESERVED FORESTS: RESERVE FORESTS ARE THE MOST RESTRICTED FORESTS AND ARE CONSTITUTED
BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT ON ANY FOREST LAND OR WASTELAND WHICH IS THE PROPERTY OF THE
GOVERNMENT.

PROTECTED FORESTS: THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS EMPOWERED TO CONSTITUTE ANY LAND OTHER
THAN RESERVED FORESTS AS PROTECTED FORESTS OVER WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROPRIETARY
RIGHTS AND THE POWER TO ISSUE RULES REGARDING THE USE OF SUCH FORESTS.

VILLAGE FOREST: VILLAGE FORESTS ARE THE ONE IN WHICH THE STATE GOVERNMENT MAY ASSIGN
TO ‘ANY VILLAGE COMMUNITY THE RIGHTS OF GOVERNMENT TO OR OVER ANY LAND WHICH HAS
BEEN CONSTITUTED A ‘RESERVED FOREST’.
 EFFECTS ON TRIBAL PEOLPLE
• THE NEW DIVISIONS OF FORESTS CAME WITH LARGE RESTRICTIONS THAT AFFECTED THE
TRIBAL WAY OF LIFE.
• FOREST LAND CAME UNDER BRITISH RULE DUE TO THE LAW AND HENCE, THEY COULD USE
THE TRIBALS AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
• THEIR LANDS WERE GIVEN TO ZAMINDARS FOR CULTIVATION AND FORCED THE TRIBALS TO
WORK FOR THEM.
• ALTHOUGH THE LAWS THAT WERE SET UP WAS TO PROTECT FORESTS, IT IMPACTED THE
TRIBALS IN A NEGATIVE WAY. THEY WERE FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BY THE
GOVERNMENT AS THE LAW MADE THEM THE OWNERS.
 COUNTRIES WHO FOLLOWED FOREST POLICIES

• THE GAMBIA – INITIATED COMMUNITY FOREST POLICY IN 1995. THE GAMBIA

HAS MANAGED TO INCREASE ITS FOREST COVER BY 8.5% OVER THE LAST TWO
DECADES
• INDIA – HAS HAD A FOREST POLICY SINCE 1894. THE POLICY WAS REVISED IN
1952 AND AGAIN IN 1988.
• THE UNITED STATES
• BRAZIL
• CANADA
 THANK YOU

LEADER- MOHAN

PPT- KAVYA, ARNAV

RESEARCH- ARNAV, KAVYA

SCRIPT- KUSH