The tribal populations of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai (India): A brief political ecology

Abstract

Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) is still home to a population of Adivasi, or forest-dwelling tribal communities. Late in the 19th century, these minorities were alienated from their forest environment by colonial rulers, and the urban growth of Mumbai has since further restricted their livelihoods - this time no longer in the name of forestry but of biodiversity conservation. Here we recount the loss of territorial rights and resources by the Mumbai Adivasi and portray their present situation in the crossfire of land use lobbies. Surveys and interviews with a range of stakeholders reveal that current events represent just the latest chapter in a 200-year process of spatial and cultural marginalization of the Adivasi. © Belin.