Across the Northeast, constitutional safeguards (Articles 371-A, 371-G, 371-C/HAC), Sixth Schedule Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), state land laws, and national statutes (notably the 2013 Land Acquisition law and forest-rights procedures) already provide powerful levers for Indigenous peoples to protect land, forests, and governance. Yet market-driven climate mechanisms—REDD+, voluntary carbon offsets, “biodiversity credits,” etc.— often commodify territories, displace customary governance, and deliver minimal, late, or conditional benefits, while constraining everyday livelihood practices like jhum, fuelwood and NTFP collection. Community stewardship financing, not carbon-as-commodity, is the path that aligns with rights, culture, food systems, and climate resilience.
1) The Northeast Legal Shield—What Already Protects Indigenous Peoples
Constitutional & Schedule frameworks
Article 371-A (Nagaland) and 371-G (Mizoram): Customary law and ownership/control of land and its resources are protected; state laws on land and resources require special legislative routes and cannot casually override community systems.
Sixth Schedule ADCs (Meghalaya, Mizoram areas, Tripura, Assam districts): District/Traditional Councils regulate land use, forests (outside reserved forests), village administration, markets, and customary institutions—creating frontline consent forums before any external project enters.
Article 371-C (Manipur) & HAC (1972 Order): The Hill Areas Committee must be consulted on hill-area matters, including district re-organisation and laws impacting land, forests, and customary governance.
Statutory levers that bite on acquisitions & “green” projects
LARR Act, 2013: Requires Social Impact Assessment, public hearings, and—where applicable—community consent thresholds (notably for PPP/private projects). It embeds rehabilitation & resettlement and strengthens challenge points in court/admin forums.
Forest diversion procedures (read with forest-rights recognition): Before forest land is diverted, Gram Sabhas/community bodies must be consulted and rights settled; customary/ADC fora become essential venues for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in practice
State land & council by-laws: ADCs/Traditional Councils can issue bye-laws on land allotment, community forests, and shifting cultivation norms—offering a local veto/conditioning power when exercised transparently.
Implication: For carbon projects, mega “green” corridors, or other acquisitions, these instruments make community decision-making and due process non-negotiable—not boxticking.
2) Why the Current Carbon-Market Model Collides with Indigenous Realities
Commodification of territory: Projects reframe living landscapes as tradable assets, pulling control upward to developers, verifiers, and buyers, while pushing communities into passive “beneficiaries.”
Thin benefit sharing, heavy restrictions: Locals often net <10% of the overall value chain while facing limits on jhum, fuelwood, grazing, NTFP access—livelihood shrinkage in exchange for a small cash stream.
Epistemic mismatch: MRV/credit logic disregards customary governance and spiritual ties to land; it prizes carbon tonnage over food sovereignty, biodiversity commons, and kinship obligations.
Consent at risk: Many schemes arrive without genuine FPIC, delivered via technomanagerial channels that communities do not control
3) Community Stewardship—The Positive Counter-Model Principle: Finance the keepers of ecosystems, not just the counting of carbon. What it looks like in the Northeast
Agroecology & SALT: Support jhum transitions that enhance soil, water, and tree cover without erasing culture; fund women/youth leadership and local seed/NTFP systems.
Customary forest governance: Recognize community forests and village institutions as rights-holders and implementers, not subcontractors.
Direct, Indigenous-managed finance windows: Pool grants/guarantees to councils, village bodies, and women’s groups with transparent social audits, rather than perton carbon payments.
Outcome menu beyond CO₂: Reward biodiversity, water security, food sovereignty, and cultural continuity—values communities already produce but markets ignore.
About the session speakers
Mr Srajesh Gupta
Co-founder, Centre for Grower-centric Eco-value Mechanism (C-GEM)
Panelist
Srajesh Gupta is the director and founder of C-GEM, a strategic non-profit scaling agroecology by enabling carbon markets for communities. He comes with over seven years of experience working with multiple organizations in the agriculture programme, policy and academic space. In his last assignment, he worked with National Coalition for Natural Farming as a founding Associate.
He holds an MSc in Agricultural Extension and Communication (Raipur); a PGD in Public Policy, Design, and Management from Indian School of Public Policy (New Delhi); Certificate in International Development from University of Chicago (USA); and Certificate in Accelerated Management Programme from Harappa School of Leadership (New Delhi).
Mr Ramesh Sharma
General Secretary, Ekta Parishad
Panelist
Ramesh Sharma serves as the National Coordinator of Ekta Parishad, a mass-based people’s movement for land rights with an active membership of over 250,000 landless poor. Ekta Parishad is widely regarded as one of the largest and most influential people’s movements in India, with an iconic status globally.
As a leading campaigner, Ramesh has been instrumental in planning large-scale mass struggles, campaign strategies, and advocacy initiatives. Over the past 26 years, he has played a pivotal role in strengthening and expanding Ekta Parishad into one of the most significant people’s struggles for land rights in India. He is an active member of several national alliances working on issues related to land reform, farmers’ rights, tribal and Dalit rights, and women’s land rights.
Ramesh has also contributed to public policy through his participation in various land reform committees of the Government of India and state governments. In 2008, he was appointed as a member of the National Committee on Agrarian Crisis and Land Reforms, and in 2012, he was nominated to the National Task Force on Land Reforms (Government of India). In these roles, he has been involved in drafting the National Homestead Rights Act and the National Land Reforms Policy, as well as designing institutional mechanisms for Land Tribunals and other pro-poor legal and institutional reforms.
In addition, Ramesh has collaborated with several international and academic institutions, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Cambridge University (UK), Heidelberg University (Germany), Rutgers University (USA), and the LBS National Academy of Administration (India). He has authored numerous research papers and policy documents on land rights, peacebuilding, gender justice, agriculture, and environmental issues.
Ramesh Sharma is also an active member of several global alliances working on land rights and related development concerns.
Dr Moatoshi Ao
Professor, Faculty of Law, Delhi University
Panelist
Dr. Moatoshi Ao is a faculty member at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. He teaches Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Company Law, and Environmental Law. His research explores the Sixth Schedule and Special Provisions of the Constitution of India, with a particular focus on the intersections of Customary Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Environmental Law, and Governance.
Mr Dimgong Rongmei
Executive Director, Realm of Nature-Based Action (RNBA)
Panelist
Work in development sector for the last 25 yes, Executive Director, RNBA. Have been on land last 10 yrs. Specially northeast context, worked on the theme livelihood, climate change, peace building, etc.
Ms Akeina Gonmei
Development Secretary, Rongmei Baptist Association (RBA)
Panelist
Development Secretary of Rongmei Baptist Association Nagaland since the year 2000. Working around secured and sustainable Tribal livelihood: through community, women, Land, forest and the ecosystem around it.
Mr Amba Jamir
Independent Policy and Development Strategist
Moderator
A policy and development strategist with over 30 years of multidisciplinary and multi-team experience from policy formulation to project development, management and evaluation. Amba is professionally trained as an environmental lawyer and development communicator. He is an acclaimed grassroots convenor, trainer, and facilitator with experience in the Asia Pacific region. Amba works directly with policy makers, NGOs, communities, farmers, and youth in mountain regions. He has extensive experience working in local, national, and international NGOs, the government and with advanced regional policy and research think tanks such as the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan. He is a founding member of the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland (SDFN) and the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) and is a Board member of numerous organizations including the GB Pant National Institute for Himalayan Environment, Government of India.