Inserting politics and history in conservation.

�On 2 October 2012, birthday of the Mahatma (Gandhi),Sargun Masomait, a 35-year-old tribal woman . . . beganmarching toward New Delhi from Gwalior. She was partof a group of 40,000 people � tribals, Dalits, nomads,nowhere people with no land of their own, the wretchedof the Indian earth, out to claim their dignity; or to reclaimit� (Pandey 2012). The March of the Landless led to thesigning of the Agra declaration between the marchersand the central government which included the demandfor the �effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act(FRA)� (Jansatyagraha 2012). We recount this event fromamong many recent ones to emphasize the political anddemocratic support for rights-based legislation such asthe FRA.