The decision by the Mahasabha to hold rallies comes in the wake of recent incidents of violence in Sabarkantha district over this issue.

Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone from Dangs, Bhanubhai Tadvi, the president of the Mahasabha, said the main agenda of the February 18 public meeting in Ahwa in Dangs district is to create awareness among tribals about the Forest Act of 2006.

We will force the government to begin the process for the implementation of the Act by forming Van Adhikar Samitis at the district, taluka and village levels without any delay, he added.

He further said that while the Centre had passed the Act and notified the rules for its implementation, it was the responsibility of the state government to implement it. "Any delay will only create suspicion and confusion in the minds of tribals and it will be inferred that the state government is not serious about the issue," he said.

Thousands of adivasis from the area are expected to participate at the Ahwa rally. The place has emerged as the centre of all tribal movements in the region in the last 10 years.

The Mahasabha is also getting the support of Dangi Mazdoor Union (DMU), which has termed the Act as one of the best legislation enacted anywhere in the world over the issue.

"While the Act recognises the fundamental right of tribal people to live with dignity, it also has accepted the fact that tribal people are conservationists and not destroyers of wildlife and forests," said Bharat Pawar of the DMU.

"We can scientifically prove that tribals have been the best preservers of the forest. Wherever there are tribals, there is forest. There is no forest where there is no tribal," he added.

He blamed the forest officials for falsely accusing tribals of encroaching large tracts of forestland. "Just two months ago, forest security personnel beat up several tribals in Jamlapada village of Dangs district for carrying out cultivation on encroached land," Pawar said, adding that such incidents were provocative and intolerable.

A senior DMU functionary on conditions of anonymity blamed the nexus of timber mafia, politicians and forest officials for inflicting severe damage to forest.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (U) legislator Chhotubhai Vasava also plans to hold separate rallies in Narmada and Bharuch districts in the third week of this month on the same issue. Accusing the Narendra Modi government of shying away from implementing the Act, Vasava questioned: "If Chief Minister Narendra Modi went ahead with giving `pattas' of the land to tribals on the eve of the recent assembly elections, what is preventing him now to implement the central laws about the same?"

He said instead of addressing the real issues the state government is trying to give a twist to the issue by dubbing tribals as Naxals. He also made an appeal to all the 26 tribal legislators belonging to various political parties in the state to become united on the issue. The state tribal minister, Mangubhai Patel, however, said: "While we will accept the genuine claim of the tribals, we will not tolerate encroachment and violence."