On 17th March 2026, a quiet but powerful transformation began in Bamni Forest Village. Villagers and Gram Panchayat members came together and organised a community level awareness session on Forest Right Act, 2006. What unfolded was not just a meeting, but a moment of collective awakening
For generations, the forest has been the lifeline of Bamni’s people. Yet, awareness about the legal recognition of their rights over land and forest resources remained limited. The discussions clearly explained what the act truly means for forest dwellers, their right to land, to collectively manage and protect forests through Community Forest Rights (CFR) & Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR). Step by step, villagers were guided by BRLF, TSU West Bengal team on how to file claims, rectification of Records of Rights, and the importance of evidence to support their claims. Towards the end of the awareness session, with the help of BRLF Team, the villagers began reflecting on what the Forest Rights Act could truly mean for them, not just on paper but in everyday life
The villagers agreed to organise a Gram Sabha Meeting, where they agreed to review and correct errors in names recorded on already issued pattas & Records of Rights, so that every rightful claimant is properly recognised. The Gram Sabha shall reconstitute the Forest Rights Committee to make it more representative, functional and in line with FRA guidelines. Finally, the village agreed to initiate CFR claims for shared spaces such as grazing grounds and religious prayer areas, to make sure that their traditionally used areas are formally recognised and protected. The catalyst of this action was initiation of forest land demarcation by the Forest Department in Bamni Forest village
BRLF team made sure that this awareness session succeeded in more than disseminating information. It empowered the people of Bamni Forest Village to take ownership of their ancestral lands and forest resources, planting the seeds for community-led governance rooted in knowledge, rights, and hope.