Adivasi rights activists in Jharkhand have called on the state government to fully implement the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), arguing that its provisions are crucial for protecting tribal autonomy and resources.
The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, a civil rights collective, has demanded amendments to the state’s Panchayati Raj Act (JPRA) to align it with PESA and has also proposed changes to the draft rules prepared by the government.
At a press conference here, activists stressed that Adivasi communities continue to face threats to their land, cultural identity, and traditional governance structures.
Encroachments on community lands, religious constructions without gram sabha consent, police camp installations, and alleged harassment by forest officials were cited as ongoing concerns.
The Mahasabha argued that a robust implementation of PESA could serve as a legal safeguard against these issues.
PESA, enacted to empower tribal communities in Scheduled Areas, grants gram sabhas key decision-making powers. However, the Mahasabha said that Jharkhand’s current panchayat laws dilute these rights.
Among the provisions missing from JPRA are gram sabha control over land acquisition, ownership of minor forest produce, and authority over community resources.
The activists also criticized rules that allow gram sabha meetings with just one-third attendance, saying this weakens collective decision-making.
The group also took issue with the state’s draft rules, saying they do not reflect PESA’s core principles. While PESA allows Gram Sabhas to prevent illegal land transfers and reclaim lost land, Jharkhand’s draft rules give final authority to the district collector instead.
The Mahasabha also flagged the absence of measures to protect Adivasi cultural identity and self-governance from external pressures.
Jharkhand’s ruling coalition had pledged to implement PESA during elections, and some legislators, including JMM’s Hemlal Murmu, have raised the issue in the state assembly.
However, activists say the government has been slow to act. The Mahasabha urged immediate amendments to JPRA, stronger legal protections for gram sabhas, and training for officials to ensure PESA’s proper enforcement.