Asserting that the Jharkhand assembly polls will be watershed, the Congress on Saturday said this is an election to determine the future wellbeing and continued flourishing of Jharkhand's "jal-jangal-zameen".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in 2006, the decades-long struggle of India's tribal communities came to an end when the Congress government introduced the historic Forest Rights Act.

This act grants Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities a path to assert their rights over their forest land and its produce, he said, adding that it has been a boon for Jharkhand's forest-dwelling communities.

"Last year, the non-biological PM Modi introduced the Forest Conservation Amendment Act and undid all of this progress. The new Act undermines the Forest Rights Act of 2006, doing away with provisions for the consent of local communities and other statutory requirements for forest clearance in vast areas," Ramesh said.

"The intention, of course, is to hand over access to our forests to his corporate friends - as we have already seen him do in Hasdeo Aranya in neighbouring Chhattisgarh," he alleged.

Ramesh said fair, honest implementation of the Forest Rights Act is a key priority of the Congress' six-point Adivasi Sankalp, announced by Rahul Gandhi in Nandurbar on March 12, 2024, during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Listing the points of the Adivasi Sankalp, Ramesh said it resolves settlement of pending Forest Rights Act claims (pattas) within 1 year and a transparent process to review all rejected claims.

The 'sankalp' calls for withdrawal of all "anti-Adivasi" amendments by the Modi government to Forest Conservation and Land Acquisition Acts, he said.

It also promises notification of all habitations where STs are the largest social group as Scheduled Areas, Ramesh said.

Under 'Apni Dharti, Apna Raj', he said, establishment of state laws to implement PESA and establish true 'village self-government', he said.

It also promises Legal guarantee of MSP for Minor Forest Produce, Ramesh said.

Under 'Budget Adhikaar', Ramesh said it talks of the share of the budget for SC/STs to be legally required to be equal to their share of the population.

"The elections to the Jharkhand State Assembly will be a watershed. This is an election to determine the future wellbeing and continued flourishing of Jharkhand's jal-jangal-zameen," Ramesh said.

His remarks came after polling was held in the first phase for 43 Assembly seats in Jharkhand on November 13. The next and the final phase would be held on November 20. The result of the polls for the 81-member assembly would be out on November 23.

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