Context: The Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha, home to the Dongria Kondh tribe, face potential threats due to proposed amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, raising concerns about the protection of their ancestral land and cultural identity.

Key Issue

• The Dongria Kondh tribe is one of the 13 PVTGs in Odisha, India.

• The proposed Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to alter the definition of 'forest' set by the Supreme Court of India in 1996.

• According to the amendment, the Forest Conservation Act, of 2023, will apply only to notified 'forest' areas as per the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and government records from October 25, 1980, onwards.

• About 95% of Niyamgiri land is not classified as 'forest' in government records.

• The amendment may potentially open a window for diverting land not classified as 'forest' in government records to other purposes, which could impact the Niyamgiri hill range and other forest areas in Odisha.

About Dongria Kondh

• They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and are the member of Khond Tribe

• Status: They are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.

• Habitation: They reside in the Niyamgiri hill range of Odisha, around 4,500 ft above sea level.

• Language: Kui language (Oral only, not written)

• Beliefs: They worship Niyam Raja, the god of the Niyamgiri Forests.

• Occupation: They sustain themselves from the resources of the Niyamgiri forests, practising horticulture and shifting cultivation

• Issues: They are currently facing displacement due to the Bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills.

• They are also facing severe health problems because of dust coming from the red mud pond (waste generated by the refinery) site.