Forest Rights And Forest Based Livelihoods Of The Santals Of Purulia

The study was set to explore the concept of forest rights of the indigenous people of Purulia district, West Bengal or more specifically the Santal villages under the Keshargarh Gram Panchayat in Hura Block. It has been an area of concern for many to study and explore the forest rights of the indigenous community but in most of the cases the work centres on computing the Non-Timber Forest Products or understanding the symbiotic nature of the community with the forest; the work being mainly carried out in areas of noted importance. This makes the work a little more sensitive and understanding the situation from a scratch needs extra care. The study thus dealt with two major questions relating to: the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in Purulia and the role of implementing agencies, and the process of development and empowerment of the indigenous group in the above mentioned research area. Purulia being a backward district with a high tribal population; the study becomes more relevant.