Proposal to rename Forest Conservation Act reflects govt’s mindset of imposing ‘one language’, says Ramesh

NEW DELHI — Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said one of the proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, is to rename it “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam”, alleging it reflects the Modi government’s mindset of “imposing one language”.

In a tweet, the Congress general secretary said there are many things wrong with the amendments to the Act, now being studied by a Select Committee of Parliament.

“One key change that has escaped attention is to rename the Act itself as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam. This is unprecedented and reflects the mindset of the Modi govt that is hellbent on imposing through its brute majority one language,” the former environment minister said.

He hoped many states and chief ministers will oppose this move at the very least, because it will open the doors to full-scale imposition.

“This will be the destruction of our wonderful diversity that has kept us united,” he said.