Brewing tension in Nagarhole as tribals allege eviction amid FRA dispute
The triggering point for the current standoff is the entry of about 150 tribals from the nearby villages into their ancestral land on Monday to assert their rights to the forests and the construction of the sacred altar for their deities.
But on Tuesday, the Forest Department officials, staff members, and the police reached the place and thwarted their attempts, which have escalated the simmering discontent among the tribals over their forcible eviction decades ago and the failure of the authorities to recognise their claims under the FRA despite providing documents.
The Jenukurub leaders from Karadikallu argued with the officials to point out that they have waited for three months after furnishing the documents, and it is the Forest Department that has exceeded the notice period within which the rights are to be settled.
Sources said that such attempts to forcibly enter the tiger reserve to assert rights would be perceived as encroachment as the claims are yet to be recognised.
However, the tribals argued that their constitutional rights are being ignored. 'The FRA does not grant new rights — it affirms our existing ones. This is our homeland,' said J.A. Shivu, president of the Karadikallu forest rights committee and leader of the Nagarhole Adivasi Jammapale Hakku Sthapana Samiti.
S. Sreekanth of Development through Education said the tribals were not constructing an RCC structure but an altar made of materials like wood, etc., to worship the deity. Hence, the Forest Department's action was condemnable as it amounted to hurting the religious sentiments of the tribals.
He said that despite the recent instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his visit to the hamlets in H.D. Kote that tribals should not be disturbed, the atrocities by the authorities continue unabated.
Activists have demanded a review of the tribals' claims rejected by the Forest Department and an early recognition of their rights. Mr. Sreekanth said that if the issue is allowed to escalate without a peaceful resolution, it would reflect badly on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as his directives are being flouted by the officials.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Sacking of Rajanna exposes Congress' ‘anti-Dalit' face, says BJP
The BJP has maintained that the sacking of Scheduled Tribes leader K.N. Rajanna from the Cabinet over his views on 'voter theft' had revealed the 'true anti-Dalit face' of the Congress, besides exposing the hollowness of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's claims of championing the cause of Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, OBCs, and Dalits). In a social media post, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra said: 'This is the true face of Congress — anti-Dalit, anti-democratic and anti-truth. It also exposes the hollowness of Mr. Siddaramaiah's claims of championing the Ahinda cause. When leaders from these communities are targeted, he does not defend them. Instead, he bows to the diktats of the Delhi high command to safeguard his own position as Chief Minister.' He said that Mr. Rajanna, a senior Dalit leader, was removed from the State Cabinet 'for merely speaking the truth.' 'Clear pattern' Mr. Vijayendra further claimed: 'The pattern is clear. In the case of erstwhile ST Welfare Minister Nagendra, funds earmarked for the development of the community were siphoned off to finance Congress's election expenses. Instead of holding the CM and Deputy CM accountable, the blame was placed entirely on Mr. Nagendra, and the matter was quietly closed.' Meanwhile in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP members led by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok raised the issue as soon as speculations about Mr. Rajanna either quitting or being sacked started doing the rounds. Mr. Ashok urged the government and Mr. Rajanna to clarify on the issue. He even argued that Mr. Rajanna should not be sitting in the place earmarked for Ministers if he is no longer a part of the ministry. While Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would respond to them later, Mr. Rajanna said he was told by the Law Minister not to speak. 'Whether I have resigned or not will be told by the Chief Minister,' he said. But the Chief Minister stayed away from the session, while Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was in the session, chose not to comment on the floor of the House. Taking exception to Mr. Rajanna and the government remaining mum, Mr. Ashok sought to remind them that it was during the protest over the honey-trap allegations made by Mr. Rajanna that 18 of the BJP MLAs had been suspended. Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad maintained that the sacking of Mr. Rajanna, a close aide of Mr. Siddaramaiah, was 'a big blow' delivered to the Chief Minister by his deputy.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
'Voter fraud' row explodes in Karnataka, minister KN Rajanna resigns
The episode of Super 6 delves into the political storm surrounding Rahul Gandhi's 'vote chori' allegations concerning voter fraud and manipulated electoral rolls in Karnataka and Kerala, specifically in the context of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission has questioned Rahul Gandhi's refusal to sign a declaration or affidavit for his claims, including that one voter cast multiple ballots. Rahul Gandhi has countered, stating the data originates from the EC's own website. This controversy has also led to internal turmoil within the Congress party, resulting in Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sacking minister K. Rajanna following high command intervention due to Rajanna's comments on state responsibility for irregularities. And actor Rana Daggubati was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal promotion of online betting platforms. These are some of the top stories on Super 6.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Karnataka is defining emerging technologies, not just embracing them: CM
About 200 CEOs from diverse business domains met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D.K. Shivakumar here on Monday and recommended that the State government should focus on a wide range of issues in order to speed up the growth of its economy. According to CEOs, entrepreneurs and head of startups, it is critical for the State to introduce special programmes focused on skilling and re-skilling meant for all knowledge workers from Karnataka, who are working inside and outside the State and also working outside the country. They also suggested the State should increase its focus on promoting deep-tech initiatives, accelerate the focus on Beyond Bangalore drive to decongest the State capital, and also set up a plug and play infrastructure facility to support the growth of the manufacturing sector. In a breakfast meeting, organised as a prelude to the State's annual tech exposition Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 scheduled between November 18 and 20, Siddaramaiah said, 'Karnataka has always been more than a participant in India's growth story, we have been its pioneer. From launching India's first IT policy in 1997 to unveiling the country's first state Quantum Technology Roadmap in 2024, we have consistently anticipated and prepared for the future.'' With 44% of India's software exports, over 18,300 start-ups, over 875 Global Capability Centres, and nearly half of the nation's AI talent, Karnataka was not just embracing emerging technologies, it was in fact defining them, he said. Speaking on the occasion Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said from expanding Namma Metro and suburban rail to developing elevated corridors and the Bengaluru Business Corridor, alongside ease-of-doing-business reforms and skill initiatives, the State government's aim was to connect people to purpose and make Bengaluru a city where world-class mobility meets world-class livability, positioning Karnataka as the global hub for talent, investment and innovation. Responding to the CEO's suggestions, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said a proposed ₹1,000 crore fund may help the State in furthering its economic growth through accelerating IT growth. He further said the government was willing to contribute ₹100 crore towards this fund while some nine entrepreneurs/start-ups could contribute ₹100 crore each to make a total pool of ₹1000 crore which could be invested in deep-tech areas. Later elaborating on Karnataka's achievements in technology, Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT and Science and Technology said the State's electronics export share was 22% during FY 24-25 and the State contributed 10% to the country's domestic electronic output. Karnataka also accounted for 40% of the design talent. According to a presentation made by her, of the 1,50,000 start-ups in the State, 50% are from Bengaluru and they raised $71.19 billion in funding.
