21 In the wake of heightened violence and conflict between concessionaires and displaced communities, the Prime Minister in May 2012 earlier issued a moratorium on granting ELCs, and Order 01 to initiate a land titling campaign in those areas of conflict between concessionaire companies and existing communities on State land. Human rights groups, however, say that little has happened since then. With poor law enforcement and a weak juridical system, the more powerful interests have continued to gain from the conflicts. Land rights issues. Meanwhile, the continuing challenge faced by many people is how to formalize their property rights under the 2001 Land Law in the face of competing claims. According to the law, land certificates are provided to those who can prove that they have occupied the land for at least five years. But with limited information and lacking the resources to fully complete the formal land titling process, most people rely on mere recognition of their land claims. This has put them at the mercy of the rich and the big companies, since a claim can be contested. India India often is often described in terms of the country’s immensities, but it can also be seen as 640,000 villages differentiated and united by diversity in its languages, cultures, religions, pursuits, convictions, and customs. Traditional and customary land tenure systems existed long before the nationState. Feudal systems, however deepened under colonial rule, as land taxes became a central source of State revenue. The new colonial land system in the form of zamindari and ryotwari8 systems created a class of absentee landlords, making way for exploitation of the peasants and the concentration of land and economic power. Also, the large-scale annexation of Indian forests by the colonial State curtailed the customary use and rights of forest dwellers and tribal communities. Land reforms. After independence, land reforms were instituted to address landlessness and social exclusion. Under India’s federal system of government, 7 Under the 2001 Land Law, foreigners cannot be issued with land titles, but foreign investors may obtain economic land concessions which give them exclusive rights to control the land for 99 years. 8 Ryotwari refers to a system of land tenure in which land taxes are paid directly to the State, rather than through intermediaries. Regional Summary: A Perspective Overview of Land Conflicts in Six Asian Countries percent of State lands (3.6 million hectares) had been awarded to large-scale agricultural concessionaires, including foreign corporations.7