The court's February 13 order was expected to affect around 11 lakh families. (Representational)
Lakhs of tribals living in forest areas across the country got a reprieve from eviction today as the Supreme Court put a freeze on its earlier order to remove them following a petition by the Centre. The court's February 13 order was expected to affect around 11 lakh families over 21 states and ahead of the coming national elections, the Centre was under pressure to reassure the tribals. Forty-seven seats in the Lok Sabha are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
The court had ordered eviction of the families that have not been able to prove their rights over the land they lived in, and had been tagged as illegal residents by the state governments. The order was part of an ongoing case, where the petitioners, mostly wildlife activists, wanted illegal forest dwellers out of forest land to reduce man-animal conflict and restore equilibrium.
The Centre -- which argued that the families tagged "illegal" were unable to prove their rights as they were mostly poor and uneducated and lived in remote, inaccessible areas -- received sharp reproof from the top court.
"You go into slumber and then ask for review now," Justice Arun Mishra heading a three judge bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The states were also not spared, as the court questioned why they did not raise objections when the order was passed.
Along with the Centre, states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and orhersetc has filed appeals in the top court, requesting a review of its order.
"Once it (an area) has been declared as forest, then all unauthorised persons will have to go out... Has the centre constituted any Review Committee? You (the Centre) have not done anything yet," the court said.
Following the Court's February 13 order, the Centre has been under considerable pressure from the opposition parties and activists working for the rights of the tribals. The Left parties had asked the government to file an ordinance that would bypass the top court's order and allow the tribals to remain at home.
Activists argue that tribals always look upon land as communal property and do not obtain necessary papers from the administration to prove individual ownership. This is why many of them have been declared illegal residents by the state government.