COIMBATORE: Even as the world goes on to observe International Day for Indigenous People on Monday, 23 tribal families continue to live in poorly maintained temporary houses at tea estate quarters in Thaimudi near Valparai in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).
While the Forest Department had offered land for new houses at Kallarkudi, the (Kadar) tribals rejected it as they want land allotted in Theppakalmedu. They were relocated to their present settlement on August 11, 2019, from Kallarkudi fearing landslide triggered by heavy rains. Though the people say four houses were damaged in the rain in Kallarkudi, Forest Department sources say no house was damaged.
In the estate quarters, rainwater seeps into houses leaving the tribals in a quandary. Though they were promised an alternative place within six months of relocation, they are yet to get their new address.
V Rajalakshmi, a member of a tribal family temporarily sheltered at the quarters, said, “Valparai municipality had arranged water tap for the houses in the quarters. However, the quality of the water is so poor that my children fell sick frequently after drinking the water. Earlier, we used to drink spring water and stayed healthy. Also, the house that we live in now is so old and rainwater leaks inside. We are living in fear of the house collapsing anytime. The toilet is also in a poor condition. We are somehow carrying forward.”
Rajalakshmi says she and her husband have been cultivating pepper at Kallar settlement which is three km away. The yield is expected to be marketed during January 2022. “We have asked the ATR officials to give us land at Theppakalmedu as the place is close to our farm land. Other families have cultivated banana, coffee and ginger,” said the mother of three. She also said that they had conveyed their demand to Collector GS Sameeran. “However, no development yet after that.”
According to S Thanaraj, a tribal rights activist and State co-ordinator of Ekta Parishad of Tamil Nadu, the ATR officials, along with Adi Dravidar Welfare Department, had conducted a joint survey at Theppakalmedu near Thaimudi for shifting the tribal families. “While the International Day for Indigenous People is observed on Monday and its theme this year is Leaving No One Behind, the tribals in Kallarkudi are still fighting for basic rights,” Thanaraj said.
Sources in the Forest department, however, said that there are practical difficulties in providing alternative land within the tiger reserve. A senior ATR official said that they had already offered land at Kallarkudi and had even readied patta for 21 people. However, the families wanted land only at Theppakalmedu. Against what the tribals told, there was no house damaged due to landslide at Kallarkudi. In fact, there was no landslide at all, he said.
“Considering their request, we have sent a proposal to allot land at Theppakalmedu as a special case, as there is no provision under Forest Rights Act 2006 to provide at a new place within the reserve,” he informed.