Indigenous Rights and Natural Resource Governance in India

Natural Resource depletion is a major concern the world is facing today. Anthropogenic activities in the form of industrialization, urbanization and modernization have threatened our environment and put human survival at risk. Violation of human rights, especially those of indigenous communities in the hands of external agencies, in natural resource governance is steadily taking place and is a systemic and recurring phenomenon that has grabbed the attention of the world with no immediate remedy in sight. In response to this threat, people have often mobilized themselves towards the protection and reclamation of their environment which has taken the shape of environmental movements the world over. This paper is an attempt to study the paradox between indigenous rights and natural resource governance with special reference to India's Forest Policies and the impact thereof on communities that still depend on forests for survival.