To urge the Tamil Nadu government and the district administration to ensure the rights of tribal people and other forest dwellers in Bargur Hills, Erode district, are protected, as per the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, a demonstration is being planned in front of the Tahsildar office in Anthiyur on February 12.
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The State government has notified 80,114.80 hectares (801.148 sq km) of reserve forests in Bargur Hills and in Gobichettipalayam taluks as the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Six tribal habitations and roads connecting these habitations were excluded from the habitat. However, tribal associations and residents of this region are opposing the move as they feared that their traditional rights will be curtailed once these forests become protected reserves.
On Friday, February 2, a meeting was held in Thamaraikarai in the Bargur Hills, at which V.P. Gunasekaran, State Committee Member of the Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association as well as representatives of a few political parties took part. People were informed about the notification, and the consequences that they would face due to this.
Mr. Gunasekaran told The Hindu that rights conferred under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, were given to people in hill areas. “Though the law has come into force, its benefits have not reached people in the past 17 years as it is not implemented by the government and the district administration,” he said. The law recognises the community’s right to use, manage and conserve forest resources. But without holding discussions with the people or getting their approval through gram sabha meetings, the government had unilaterally notified the wildlife sanctuary, he said.
Speakers at the meeting also believed the sanctuary would be converted into a tiger reserve in a few years, bringing in restrictions to local people with regard to vehicle movement, their offering prayers of at temples and collecting of minor forest produce.