Indigenous people and forest rights Around the beginning of the 16th century, the forest land was majorly under the use of the local communities , and the forest produce was practically used for everything, from clothing, fruits and vegetables, medicines and other materials for daily use, people were majorly dependent on the forests. The colonial period changed the circumstances and the lives of these communities. Forests came under the sovereignty of the state. Initially, trees such as Sandalwood, teak and Sal were cut without any thought and were exported. A lot of revenue was generated from forest resources as they ensured that no trees were cut without prior approval, making them the sole users of the forest resources. Later, after