Peren, August 24 (MExN): The Mount Pauna Biodiversity Conservation Forum (MPBCF), comprising 24 villages along the Pauna Range in Peren district, has strongly condemned the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 recently passed by the Indian Parliament.
The amended Act is against the interests of the indigenous tribal communities of Nagaland as it is likely to deprive the rights and challenge the land and forest rights of the people who have been its custodians since time immemorial, the MPBCF stated.
The Forum is a voluntary front-line organisation in conservation efforts, spearheading and encouraging all villages within Peren district to take up conservation practices in their traditional ancestral lands to sustain and preserve the rich biodiversity, it said.
However, the provisions of the Act could jeopardise the traditional land ownership and also threaten the biodiversity and ecological balance of the district, the MPBCF maintained in a press release from its President Lungsi Haikube.
The Act allows all forest areas within 100 kilometres from “borders” or line of control for strategic projects of national importance and national security, but forests of the State will fall under these categories and it will certainly affect the dedicated conservation efforts of nature lovers, it pointed out.
“Instead of encouraging the indigenous people who are voluntarily conserving the environment, this will certainly devastate their efforts,” the MPBCF added.
The forum further expressed apprehension that the Act would undermine community ownership of land and forest and the people of the state, which may result in the destruction of the rich biodiversity of Peren district, Nagaland, the North-East or the country as a whole in the guise of development activities or security reasons. Accordingly, the MPBCF expressed its resentment to the amendment in the strongest terms and urged all concerned organisations within Peren district in particular and the Nagas’ intellectual organisations in general to oppose the said amendment.
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