“Community Rights Over Common Lands Must Be Recognised”

COMMONS LIKE GRAZING LANDS, WASTELANDS, LAKES AND COMMUNITY FORESTS ARE RAPIDLY VANISHING, PUTTING THE LIVELIHOODS OF MARGINALISED PEOPLE AT RISK. JITENDRA SPOKE TO RUTH MEINZEN-DICK, A SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE US-BASED INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, ON THE COMMONS, COMMUNITIES AND POLICIES

- Jitendra

Ownership of commons in India has not been recognised. Do you see any significant change after the Supreme Court (SC) order in 2011, which said that no authority can allot, lease, sell or divert these lands, and only weaker sections of the society can use them?

There is a mixed trend. On the one hand, there is greater recognition of commons after the SC verdict and many states have made policies to protect the commons. On the other, there is increasing pressure from the current “development” model that often declares the commons as “undeveloped land”. These lands are being gifted to landless people for housing or non-agriculture purposes. The government doesn’t recognise the fact that these lands have been historically used by the landless to sustain their economy. However, the value of the commons is highly underestimated. People still do not see it as a valuable asset.

Tell us about the value of commons?

The current trajectory is to create further pressure on the commons. It is being used for “development purposes” like buildings and industries. This has led to destruction of lakes, tanks and decline in groundwater, triggering water scarcity and loss of livelihoods.