350,000 postcards and a deluge of telegrams were sent to India's Prime Minister throughout 1996. As a result of this pressure, a national Tribal Self-rule Act was passed in 1996. The act states that land, water and forest resources should be under the control of tribal communities. Governments at national and state level must ask for permission of tribal communities in order to access these resources. Though the national Act emphasises local control over resources, state governments continue to take land for large scale projects such as hydro-electric projects, aluminium mining, and coffee plantations.
Many local communities continue to be displaced without compensation.
Forest protection has emerged as one of the main issues. Through the tribal platforms, communities discuss how to tackle issues of tribal control of forests and compentation with district level forest departments. The platforms are also a space for tribal representatives to learn more about the provisions of the Self-rule Act. There are many challenges ahead. As the economic environment in India liberalises, the provisions of the Tribal Self-Rule Act are increasingly at odds with the push towards more foreign investment.