In private interest

New state policies formalise the transfer of community resources to private players

EXISTING control

Owned by communities, clans or individual tribal families

In most areas land surveys are yet to be done, so ownership is recognised as per the natural boundaries

Most states have laws to prevent nonnatives from buying land in these areas

CONTROL shifts

NAGALAND: Hammering out a policy to "restructure" landholding systems in oil-rich foothill areas. This will pave way for possession of land by nonnative investors.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH: Discussing a law that gives state the power to take over any kind of forest, including those owned by communities. It intends to curb jhum and restrict people's access to forest produce.

MIZORAM: Introduced New Land Use Policy, 2011, which allows the government to allot pattas over community forest land to those who quit jhum and grow permanent plantations like oil palm. Community institutions have little say.

MANIPUR: Ignoring the ownership of forests, the proposed New Land Use Policy (NLUP), 2014, aims to bring 78 per cent of the area of the state under "undisturbed" forest cover and Joint Forest Management. It allows Village Development Councils (statecontrolled elected village bodies) to make changes in the land tenure system in consonance with NLUP.

MEGHALAYA: Its Industrial and Investment Policy, 2012, promotes leasing of tribal land to industries or investors. The Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, that prohibited transfer of tribal land to non-natives, was relaxed in 2001 to enable French company Lafarge to acquire land for limestone mining.