KRISHNAGIRI: Three Irula tribe people in Bargur and Shoolagiri were arrested by the Karnataka forest department on charges of axing sandal trees.
According to sources, G Sakthivel (19) of Marimanapalli was arrested for cutting sandalwood at Male Madheswara forest in Karnataka in the last week of April. His father Gopi (50) said he got a call from the Karnataka forest department about his arrest and that he cannot afford the lawyer fees to get him bail.
"Twelve 12 Irula families are living in Marimanapalli. We don't have proper houses, and share seven dilapidated group houses that were built 15 years ago. We work as farm workers in Mallapadi, but we don't get work regularly," Gopi said. " I thought my son had gone for work in Karnataka, but didn't expect his arrest, " he added.
Another villager P Minnal (62) said, "We can't work independently or in government schemes as officials have not visited our village so far. Until a year ago, many of us did not have ration card. We used to buy ration rice at `5 per kilo. Last year, a policeman helped ten families get ration cards, voter identity card for 25 persons, power connection, etc." Officials should visit our village and provide us jobs under government schemes, she added.
In Nagamalai, a habitation at Gummalam panchayat of Shoolagiri, two Irulas M Sekar (26) and R Rajesh (25) were arrested two months ago by Kadur forest staff in Chikkamagaluru district. The families are unable to recollect the exact month of arrest, but some relatives met the two in Chikkamagaluru last month.
Rajesh's wife Chinnakka (22) told TNIE, " We have two children and the second child is two months old. Two months ago my husband said he was going to Karnataka to construct poly greenhouse in farm lands for wages of ` 500 - 700 and that he would come back in ten days. But we got a call from Karnataka forest staffs who informed us that he has been arrested for felling sandalwood. We don't know when he will be come out on bail. Forest staffs said he will be come out only after three months."
There are over 30 Irula tribe families in Nagamalai who and they are unable to get power connection or any other development projects. Last year a private company sponsored solar panels for electricity. After many protest by CPI (M), we received water connection."
When contacted, the district Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer D Ramesh Kumar said he took charge three days ago and was not aware of the issues.
President of Tamil Nadu Tribal Association P Dilli Babu, said officials ignore tribals. Despite submitting many petitions about lack of amenities in tribal hamlets in Krishnagiri. officials have not addressed them. If government schemes reach the tribals, they would not involve in illegal activities."
Hosur wildlife warden K Karthikeyani said they are ready to provide forest rights to Nagamalai tribal people under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers ( Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. " The people have to submit documents to forest rights committee at the village level. Only then, we can help them."
An official from MM Hills forest range in Karnataka said out of eight suspects who felled sandal trees, one person Sakthivel was arrested while the others escaped.