BENGALURU: Scores of people who have illegally entered Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in the last two days have started to set up temporary camps and shelters inside the forest on Tuesday evening demanding the state government give them forest land. “They are asking for land inside the tiger reserve and want the Forest Rights Act to be cancelled. They want a gram sabha to be held inside the forest immediately and they be given land rights documents,” said Mysuru Malathi Priya, Chief Conservator of Forests.
A similar incident had happened six years ago in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve where tribals and others entered the forest seeking rights over forest land. Now the tribals who were relocated under the voluntary tribal relocation programme are seeking rights over forest land along with those who are already staying inside the forest. The Nagarahole Adivasi Janma- Pale Hakku Sthapane Samithi held a meeting on last Saturday and told media in Bengaluru that they wanted cancellation of the Forest Rights Act and the tribal relocation programme.
They also demanded implementation of the recent orders issued by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to provide all facilities (including road, water, electricity and other facilities) to dwellers staying inside forests. A forest official in Nagarahole said: “We were unable to get out of the forest or call for more forces as we were gheraoed on Monday. We were unable to contact the police and the forest department head office on Monday. On late Tuesday evening when the message was relayed, help came in. But the police are not clearing the people. We also do not have the sufficient man-power to remove them forcefully.”
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Subhash B Malkhade, said: “The tribals want their rights to be settled. But they are not forest dwellers. They have come from outside. The issue is not with the forest department alone. There are sub-committees at the gram, district and taluk levels which has to look into the rights of the tribals along with the Tribal Development Department”.
Despite repeated attempts, TNIE could not get a comment from the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department.