<p><b>Project Theme: </b>Economic Justice</p>
<p><b>Project Period: </b>1st April 2014- 31st March 2015</p>
<p><b>Project Name: </b>Securing Land and Livelihood Rights of Tribal and Other Marginalized Communities</p>
<p><b>Project Location: </b>National</p>
<p><b>Budget(Annual): </b>Rs. 22,00,000 </p>

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Ekta Parishad is a federation of community based organisations, launched in 1989, working directly with over 350,000 families belonging to marginal and landless community [especially Dalit, Adivasi and excluded communities]. They work in nearly 10000 villages in 15 States: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Utter Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Over the years, EP has succeeded in first reviving and then keeping alive the agenda of pro-poor land reforms in the country, a national agenda that had become almost non-existent over four decades of independence. This year is the 25th year of Ekta Parishad’s presence and they will be campaigning for securing land and livelihood rights of tribal and other marginalised communities.
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<h3>About the Project: </h3>
<p>The proposed project is focus on extensive campaigning and leadership building process. The Baigas are recognized as primitive tribe, but in the recent past they are witnessing the mass evictions because of forestry and other industrial/mining projects. They are completely marginalized out of their land & livelihood rights, in spite of constitutional provision of Forest Rights Act (2006) and PESA (1996). An extensive grassroots action will be organized for raining these issues at State as well as National level. The wide consultative process will be helpful for working out ‘Broad Agenda & Action’ to be directed for more responsive local governance in terms of dealing with the land & livelihood rights. The proposed campaign will be launched for building mass consent on larger issues of tribal rights and institutions to be more responsive and time-bound in future. .</p>
<p>A national consultation will also be organised for framing a ‘National Tribal Policy’. Over 5000 Tribal/Dalit representatives and social activists will be called for discussing and declaration of this policy and presented it to State. A large number of Tribal/Dalit elected representatives will also be called for taking this agenda/draft at various levels for policy advocacy. The local elected representatives, member of legislative assembly, Member of Parliament and concerned Ministers will also be invited for building common consensus on policy. The final draft will be widely used by people/representative organisations towards influencing policy and practice in favor of the Tribal/Dalit community. </p>
<p><b>Goal: </b>The project is focus on organizing extensive campaigning for land & livelihood rights of the tribal and other marginalized community in Mandla, Dindori & Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh and Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh. The second larger focus of this project is developing a draft ‘National Tribal Policy’ through national consultative process. </p>
<h3>Expected Impact: </h3>
<p>The aim of the project is building collective campaigning towards ensuring right and justice to the Baiga community in particular and tribal community of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in general. The organisation will also mobilise Tribal and Dalit leaders for discussing and declaring ‘National Tribal-Dalit Policy’ and set the agenda for wider policy debate in the country. These two actions are extremely helpful for bringing policy change in addressing the issues of Tribals and Dalits and set ground for good policy practices. </p>
<h3>Achievements so far:</h3>
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<li>Ekta Parishad did advocacy and campaign for land rights through documentation and information dissemination, advocacy and lobbying as well as alliance building and networking to facilitate the process for National Land Reform Policy, Land Acquisition Bill, and National Homestead Land Rights Bills with Government of India and implementation of directives of MoRD in different state with states government.</li>
<li>Output of this project are documentation of analytical report on manifesto of different parties in Madhya Pradesh, State consultation on Land and livelihood right in Madhya Pradesh, 3 National consultation’s report. Regular briefing on development of National Task Force on Land Reform and land issues with media mobilised journalists and intellectuals to write on Land Issues in India in more than 50 news agencies’ magazine and newspapers, e-new letters and website reaching across the globe on land reform advocacy. National level consultations helped in developing and maintaining the land rights network and alliance, capacity development of land rights advocacy and framing the long term intervention strategy for land reform in India. This project was helpful to build and maintain the network and alliance in consequence of keeping touch with the members of National Task Force, discussion with Parliamentarians as a result National Land Reform Policy and National Homestead Land Rights Bills has been prepared draft and placed it on website for suggestion in these two important bill and policy. </li>
<li>A draft paper on National Homestead Act has been finalized, which is now pending in clearance with Ministry of Law (MoL) of Government of India. National Task Force on Land Reform has not received any comments from Ministry of Law. Once it approves the Bill will go to a Parliamentary Committee which will comment as per the Constitution. The MoRD can then present the Bill to Parliament. </li>
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