Livelihoods, Conservation and the Forest Rights Act in a National Park

National parks have been instituted in India to take care of ecosystems rich in biodiversity, and to protect them from human intervention. This has led to many conflicts between the local communities and the state. To address these issues, the state has enacted laws such as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act in favour of local communities. However, the purpose of national parks and the FRA seems to be in contradiction. We analyse existing acts and regulations being implemented by the state in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha and try to understand their relevance when compared with the ground reality, based on our villagelevel investigations in the Bhitarkanika ecosystem.