BHUBANESWAR: The Mankidia tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Odisha, has been denied habitat rights in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) since the Forest Department feels that the indigenous people might face life threat from wildlife or even come in way of their free movement.
The Mankidias, one of the 13 PVTGs in the State, collect Siali fibre from Similipal using which they prepare ropes and fancy bags.
About 252 people from Mankidia tribe live in nine villages located on the fringe of Similipal. The indigenous community members have no other skill which can earn them livelihood.
However, the STR authorities objected to nine claims of habitat rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in core of STR on the grounds that they could come under attack from wild animals.
As a result, the District Level Committee (DLC) of Mayurbhanj which had met last month decided to confer habitat rights only in the buffer area of STR.
“Deputy Director of STR raised the issue objecting that conferring of habitat rights within the core will create barriers for free movement of tigers and other wild animals. And also there is apprehension of life risk of PVTGs,” the proceeding of the DLC said.
The STR authorities logic has been dismissed by FRA activists who say there is no record of people from Mankidia tribe facing wildlife attack. “They have lived with forests and wildlife for ages and know their way. Such a basis for denying them habitat rights is ridiculous,” says Programme Officer of Vasundhara Hemant Sahu.
Interestingly, Mayurbhanj district administration had long been working to confer habitat rights to the PVTG. Mankidias would have been the first to secure if the move had come off.
The small community is not only impoverished, its population growth is unenviable. In 2001, the Mankidias were 142 in number which rose to 203 in 2011.
The group ventures out to forests where they stay for a month or two at a stretch. During collection of Siali fibre, they build small huts and offer worship to their deities. Sahu says, the indigenous group is non-invasive in nature.
“Good quality Siali fibre is available only in core area Similipal, not in the buffer. By denying them the habitat rights, the Forest Department has hit them hard,” he added. However, Deputy Director of STR Dr JD Pati said the Mankidia community members enter the core areas crossing long distances through the buffer. “We objected to habitat rights in the critical core because they could be mistaken for poachers. Besides, they might face attacks from elephants,” he told this paper.