The Lodha: In The Context of Social Justness

In the framework of Third World Countries, India is one of the developing, Secular, Welfare State. In this advancement, the citizens of India including Tribes are marching forward. The Lodha who are a declared primitive, hunter-gatherer Tribe of India and West Bengal, residing deep inside the forest and its fringe. An embargo on entering into the forest and collection for daily subsistence, have pushed them in an irksome situation leading to the present Jeopardy they are in. Advent of Indian Forest Act 1865 amended in 1878 and 1927, uprooted and dislodged the Lodha from their own domain “The Forest”. Their dependence on the forest for maintaining livelihood was totally hit, ignorant of the Forest Act and the contents therein left them unaware of the consequences to derive. Post Independence, Government of India initiated various developmental and rehabilitation programmes for the Lodha. JFM, FPC Programmes are still on. But even today the Lodha are ignorant and have no idea about the legal implications, absolutely in darkness regarding legal awareness relating to the forest and forest law, citing the governance's failure to make them understand the implications of the same. Then the responsibility regarding legal awareness is vested on whom! “Cui-bono!”