CHENNAI: The State government, earlier this week, submitted a detailed report to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) refuting the allegations of a Delhi-based NGO that the forest department violated the human rights of 23 Kadar tribal families by forcefully evicting them from Theppakulammedu settlement inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in December last.
A senior government official told The New Indian Express that the Coimbatore collector conducted an inquiry and found no human-right violation. "The tribal families were given title rights and they are happy. This is a false complaint," the official said.
On December 28 last year, the NHRC sought a report from the chief secretary and the DGP following a complaint from Dilip Chakma, executive director of Delhi-based Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre. The NHRC wanted the report within four weeks but it was not submitted even after four months.
On May 5, the commission, taking serious note of the non-compliance, issued summons to the chief secretary and the DGP for their personnel appearance before the commission on June 6. It, however, agreed to dispense with the personal appearance if the report was submitted by May 30.
Dilip Chakma alleged that the forest department dismantled the tribal huts without prior notice. "The forest department's action to forcibly evict them, that too, during the Covid-19 pandemic is illegal and inhuman," he told The New Indian Express.
The 23 tribal families were originally inhabitants of the Kallarkudi settlement, which was severely damaged in a massive landslide in August 2019.
Later, the tribals regrouped and sought title rights in Theppakulammedu, located on the fringes of ATR. Considering their plight, the State government agreed to issue title rights to 21 tribal families and Power Minister V Senthil Balaji handed over the documents during an event on November 7, 2021.
Coimbatore collector GS Sameeran told The New Indian Express: "Conferring Individual Rights to Kadar Tribes of Kallarkudi at Theppakulamedu was a proactive step by District Level Forest Rights Commitee..The entire process was consultative and the Tribals were fully satisfied with the same. There was no instance of Human rights violation happened in this regard."
Sources in the forest department said trouble started on December 3, 2021, when the tribals attempted to build huts outside the titled areas. The personnel prevented the construction of such huts as it would be deemed as encroachment.
"No tribal was harmed or their human rights violated. After the incident, a peace meeting was held and the tribals were apprised of the matter. Basic amenities like drinking water and solar power were also being provided to Theppakulammedu tribal families," a senior forest official said.