Chennai:
The notification of tiger reserves and non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the state is posing a threat to the livelihood of tribals and adivasis including a possible eviction from the forests that was considered to be their home since ages, according to activists and representatives of forest dwellers.
As the forest department has notified tiger reserves in Mudumalai (Nilgiris), Sathyamangalam (Erode), Anamalai, Kalkkad-Mundanthurai besides having a proposal for tiger reserve in Meghamalai, representatives of forest dwellers attending a state level symposium here on Thursday said that forest dwellers livelihood is at stake and demanded that the government should first ensure that they are rehabilitated before notifying the area as tiger reserve.
Forest dwellers and the civil right activists allege that the notification of all four tiger reserves is illegal. As per the Union government’s amendment in 2006 to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, consent and approval of gram sabhas in these areas for the constitution of Tiger reserve was made mandatory. “In addition, scientific and objective criteria were to be adopted and public hearing was to be conducted in order to ensure people’s participation in the process besides Tiger reserves were to be constituted fulfilling the relevant provisions of the Wildlife Amendment Act of 2006 and the Forest Rights Act of 2006,” said C R Bijoy of Campaign for Survival and dignity.
However, the Tiger Reserves were notified in total violation of laws posing a threat to the rights of the people in these areas, allege Bijoy.
But whether, the tigers are really protected is a huge question as the civil rights group claims that the number of tiger population has dwindled after the Tiger Reserves were set up. “We had nearly 5,000 tigers in the 1950s and 1960s before the Tiger conservation measure started but now we have only 1,706. The tiger population never grew from 1980s instead still it has declined while the forest department is notifying new tiger reserves and evicting the forest dwellers,” said Kumar, an environmental activist. As huge funds are flowing in the Tiger Reserves, P T Verghese convenor of People’s Livelihood Rights Association, who is opposing the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, is demanding an audit on how the funds are being spent. “As the tiger reserves have become core areas free from the population, on whom are they spending crores of rupees,” Verghese wondered.
“We will survive only if the forests survive. Only if we survive will the forest survive,” he said.
Interestingly, R Nallakannu, senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, who also took part in the event, called for the protection of the rights of the tribals and implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act in 2006 in the state
The notification of tiger reserves and non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the state is posing a threat to the livelihood of tribals and adivasis including a possible eviction from the forests that was considered to be their home since ages, according to activists and representatives of forest dwellers.
As the forest department has notified tiger reserves in Mudumalai (Nilgiris), Sathyamangalam (Erode), Anamalai, Kalkkad-Mundanthurai besides having a proposal for tiger reserve in Meghamalai, representatives of forest dwellers attending a state level symposium here on Thursday said that forest dwellers livelihood is at stake and demanded that the government should first ensure that they are rehabilitated before notifying the area as tiger reserve.
Forest dwellers and the civil right activists allege that the notification of all four tiger reserves is illegal. As per the Union government’s amendment in 2006 to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, consent and approval of gram sabhas in these areas for the constitution of Tiger reserve was made mandatory. “In addition, scientific and objective criteria were to be adopted and public hearing was to be conducted in order to ensure people’s participation in the process besides Tiger reserves were to be constituted fulfilling the relevant provisions of the Wildlife Amendment Act of 2006 and the Forest Rights Act of 2006,” said C R Bijoy of Campaign for Survival and dignity.
However, the Tiger Reserves were notified in total violation of laws posing a threat to the rights of the people in these areas, allege Bijoy.
But whether, the tigers are really protected is a huge question as the civil rights group claims that the number of tiger population has dwindled after the Tiger Reserves were set up. “We had nearly 5,000 tigers in the 1950s and 1960s before the Tiger conservation measure started but now we have only 1,706. The tiger population never grew from 1980s instead still it has declined while the forest department is notifying new tiger reserves and evicting the forest dwellers,” said Kumar, an environmental activist. As huge funds are flowing in the Tiger Reserves, P T Verghese convenor of People’s Livelihood Rights Association, who is opposing the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, is demanding an audit on how the funds are being spent. “As the tiger reserves have become core areas free from the population, on whom are they spending crores of rupees,” Verghese wondered.
“We will survive only if the forests survive. Only if we survive will the forest survive,” he said.
Interestingly, R Nallakannu, senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, who also took part in the event, called for the protection of the rights of the tribals and implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act in 2006 in the state
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