Fending for Themselves – Adivasis, Forest Dwelling Communities and the Devastating Second Wave of COVID-19

This paper was released on March 07, 2023, by the Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Chennai. It was co-authored by Sushmita, a researcher and journalist working in areas like environmental justice and forest governance, and Suraj Harsha, a teacher and researcher focusing on migration, citizenship and labour. It highlights the current state of Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities in relation to the effects of the second wave of covid-19.The paper argues that Adivasi and other forest-dwelling communities have suffered significantly during the pandemic-imposed lockdown. Furthermore, the lack of focus on these communities has led to their displacement and loss of traditional ecosystems. Drawing inferences from existing research and a series of telephonic interviews and surveys, the paper suggests changes in policy that can help address health and health service issues among Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities.The study is based on conversations with members of civil society organisations who in some cases were members of the Adivasi or forest-dwelling communities themselves. Some interviewees were also participating in relief measures during the pandemic. The states covered under the study were: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.The 63-page paper is divided into nine sections: Adivasis and Forest Communities in India – A Portrait of Neglect (Section I); COVID-19: The Second Wave (Section II); Approach to the Study (Section III); COVID-19 Services – Delivery, Limits, and Policy Blind Spots (Section IV); Information, Awareness, and the Digital Divide (Section V); Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Section VI); Indigenous Health Systems (Section VII); Recognition of Rights and Coping in Crisis (Section VIII); and Summary (Section IX).