Land rights are a critical human rights issue. Everyone has the right to own property alone, as well as in association with others. “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property” is declared under article 17 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the Indian context, land rights constitute the basis for access to food, housing, and development. Without access to land communities and individuals find themselves in situations of great economic insecurity.

As a non-violent land rights movement since its inception in the mid-1980s - Ekta Parishad (www.ektaparishadindia.org), has constantly fought for the millions of deprived landless and homeless poor in India. The historic mass actions (Janadesh 2007 & Jan Satyagraha 2012) succeeded in getting the Forest Rights Act enacted, which has provided millions of Adivasis with the means to get their land & forest rights back.

In 2021, Prof Praveen Jha and Meghna Goyal started a longitudinal study aimed at investigating the philosophy, strategies, approaches, and actions being used by Ekta Parishad to address land questions in India. The multidimensionality of Ekta Parishad’s struggle and the impact this has provided economic security to large numbers of rural poor. However, the complete reversal of land reforms (through various policies and laws) today poses even bigger challenges. This longitudinal research helps us understand and analyse the socio-political realities in the past, present, and future.