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The right of access to biodiversity and community right to intellectual property
and TK related to biodiversity and traditional knowledge related to biodiversity
and cultural diversity (Section 3k); and
The right to traditional rights we customarily enjoyed (Section 3l).
We acknowledge the limitation of these rights under Section 4 of the Act in cases where
forests are designated as National Parks or Sanctuaries, but point out that the processes
set out under Section 4(2) – such as ascertaining whether other reasonable options such as
co-existence are not available - remain to be complied with.
We call on the National Biodiversity Authority to:
We call upon the National biodiversity Authority to:
• Recognize our traditional knowledge as researched by the FRLHT and to include
it in the Peoples Biodiversity Register (under Rule 22(6) of the Biological
Diversity Rules);
• Facilitate the setting up of Biodiversity Management Committees under the local
bodies (Panchayats or Municipalities) in the Vellore region and to support these
Committees in ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of our biodiversity
and traditional knowledge (as per section 41 of the National Biodiversity Act);
• Strengthen in situ conservation of medicinal plants and include them in the BMC
being initiated by the government (under sections 36 and 41 of the National
Biodiversity Act);
• Advise the Central Government and coordinate the activities of the State
Biodiversity Boards to protect our customary rights to access forest areas so as to
safeguard our traditional lifestyles that ensure the conservation and sustainable
use local biodiversity, associated traditional knowledge and the local ecosystem
(under section 36 of the National Biodiversity Act); and
• Ensure that our prior informed consent (according to customary law) is obtained
before any decisions are taken that affect our traditional way of life or access is
granted to our medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge for research
or for commercial purposes, and further assist us to ensure that we receive a fair
and equitable share of the benefits arising from the utilization of our breeds and
traditional knowledge according to mutually agreed terms (under section 21 of the
national biodiversity Act).
We also call upon the Forest Department to re-engage with us on the issue of forest
rights. We require access to the forest, so we can sustainably harvest certain medicinal
plants for direct use as well as to populate our own herbal gardens. We want to be
recognized as village botanists, able to provide technical guidance to the Department’s
conservation efforts.
Contact information
Tamil Nadu Paramparya Siddha Vaidya Maha Sangam
c/o FRLHT