Obstructed access to forest justice in West Bengal: state violations in the mis-implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006
This paper assesses the extent to which the Forest Rights Act 2006, the most significant institutional reform of rights in forested landscapes since Independence, is being implemented across West Bengal, and whether it is contributing to the alleviation of the chronic and acute poverty prevalent in these areas of the state. The passing of the Act appeared to presage a fundamental reversal of a major