AIKS alleges 2026 Forest Rights Guidelines undermine tribal rights and dilute FRA
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has strongly criticised the Forest Rights Guidelines issued through a joint communication dated July 27, 2026, by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, alleging that they undermine both the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
According to AIKS, the communication sent to state chief secretaries directs states to ensure that Community Forest Resource (CFR) plans are harmonised with forest department-approved working plans.
The organisation said the new guidelines supersede the 2015 guidelines issued under Section 12 of the FRA and build upon what it described as anti-democratic and anti-tribal guidance circulated in June 2021 and September 2023.
AIKS stated that the 2026 joint circular, like the previous communications issued in 2021 and 2023, contradicts the fundamental intent and ethos of the FRA, particularly its commitment to community-centric forest governance.
The organisation noted that the FRA was enacted following decades of struggles by Adivasis and other traditional forest dwellers, along with parliamentary interventions by the organised Left.
It said the Act recognised that the Forest Department was created during British colonial rule to exploit natural resources and that post-independence forest governance largely continued in the same tradition. According to AIKS, the legislation sought to correct this “historic injustice” by establishing the Gram Sabha as the primary authority over the management of forests in Community Forest Resource areas.
AIKS further alleged that the FRA is viewed as an obstacle to the neoliberal development model and the Government’s “ease of doing business” agenda. It claimed that the Narendra Modi-led Government has been attempting to dilute the Act to facilitate mining and extraction projects by large corporate groups, including Adani and Ambani.
Referring to developments in Chhattisgarh, AIKS alleged that the ongoing state-led action against tribal communities in the Hasdeo forest in connection with projects linked to the Adani Group underscores the importance of the FRA and provisions relating to Community Forest Resources.
The organisation also claimed that there is a growing tendency on the part of the Union Government to deny recognition of CFR rights due to corporate pressure. Citing official data, AIKS said that out of 1,79,422 claims, 1,24,189 had been granted, while around 57,000 had either been rejected or remain pending.
AIKS criticised the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, stating that the ministry, which Parliament entrusted with safeguarding the FRA, is now collaborating with corporate interests to weaken the legislation.
The organisation warned the Union Government against taking any steps that, in its view, would dilute the democratic provisions of the Forest Rights Act. It also called upon working people across the country to resist what it described as attempts to undermine the historic legislation.
