Group of over 200 demands Tribal Welfare Department to urgently address violations faced by tribals in Nagarahole
Representatives of a solidarity group of 206 social and environmental organisations, lawyers, academics, and other professionals, submitted a joint memorandum to Randeep D., Principal Secretary, Tribal Welfare Department, and Yogesh, Director, Tribal Welfare Department, to urgently address the alleged ongoing violation of forest and tribal rights at Karadikallu, Nagarahole, where 150 Jenu Kuruba adivasis are facing 'forced eviction' in violations of the Forest Rights Act.
The members of the solidarity group include groups such as India Labour Solidarity (U.K.-based), Food Sovereignty Alliance, People's Union for Civil Liberties, Community Network Against Protected Areas, Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, Fridays For Future India, National Alliance of People's Movements, and Students for Peoples Democracy, as well as activists including Meera Sanghamitra, Clifton D'Rozario, Yuvan Aves, and Disha A. Ravi.
Signatories also include academics from IIT Madras, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, National Law School of India University, and Azim Premji University.
The collective submitted this letter in light of the tense situation that has been unfolding at Karadikallu Hattur Kollehaadi, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, since May 5 after the tribals re-entered the forests 'to reclaim their ancestral land'.
'Over 120 paramilitary troops of the Forest Department, State police, and Special Tiger Protection Force were deployed to intimidate members of the Jenu Kuruba tribe, with threats to evict them forcibly. In addition to this, the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Nagarahole Wildlife division, issued a letter on May 8, citing a supposed May 6 High Court order, later found to have been fabricated, suspending the FRA-related activities, thus asking the Jenu Kuruba families to vacate their ancestral homeland in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve,' said a statement from the collective.
The letter by the collective termed it 'a blatant attempt to withhold implementation of the FRA, 2006, amounting to perjury (lying under oath) under criminal law for the tiger reserve authorities, as well as section 3 (g) of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.'
According to members of the collective, Mr. Randeep promised to look into the grievances and address them, and was open to sending a delegation to Nagarahole.
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