The livelihood of people in hill areas and other forest dwellers should not be deprived in the name of tiger reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, said a resolution passed by the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Sathyamangalam here on Monday.
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A meeting was organised to discuss measures to protect the livelihood of tribal people and other forest dwellers in hilly areas in which CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan, former Bhavanisagar MLA P.L. Sundaram and the party’s district secretaries from western and eastern ghats districts took part.
Members said that hills were located in 20 districts in the State and most of the areas had forest cover. Over a lakh of people who were living there for many generations depended on forest resources for their livelihood. The State has five tiger reserves, 15 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks and the recent study by Forest Survey of India (FSI) pointed out that the forest cover had increased in the State.
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The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) had bagged the national award for tiger conservation and increase in forest cover and tiger count showed that humans and wild animals could co-exist without any problems.
But the orders passed by the Madras High Court that banned vehicle movement during night hours on Dhimbam Ghat Road, relocating people of Thengumarahada village and ban on cattle grazing in forest areas affected the livelihood of the people directly.
“Senior officials of the Forest Department and the government lawyer refused to object when untrue statistics were presented in the court,” they said. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, ensured traditional rights of tribal people and other forest dwellers. “But the court failed to consider the rights given in the act and had passed orders,” they said.
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Members said all the tiger reserves established in the State were against the law as FRA mandates seeking stakeholder’s opinion and ensuring their rights before forming a tiger reserve.
“But the guidelines given in the act were violated and tiger reserves and sanctuaries were announced,” they added.
Since the Forest Department is under the control of both Central and the State governments, forest officials implemented orders issued by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The State government’s opinions were not considered, they said and wanted the State government to file review petitions in the court on orders that affected the livelihood of the people in hill areas.
They also wanted the State government to make announcements in the Assembly that recognised the traditional rights of tribal people and forest dwellers. Campaigns would be held from May 4 to 7 in hill areas in this regard. Protests would be held on May 9 in front of the Forest Range Offices in the State.