Representatives of the Kadar community, Scheduled Tribe activists, Anamalai Tiger Reserve officials and the district administration under Collector G.S. Sameeran held talks on resettling 23 Kadar families, who lost their Kallarkudi settlement to natural calamities.
S. Thanaraj, State coordinator of Ekta Parishad, who attended the meeting told The Hindu that the meeting was to decide on the way the Kadar people wanted to settle in Theppakulamedu, where they had relocated.
After their settlement was damaged in heavy rain and landslip, the tribal people had attempted to establish another settlement in Theppakulamedu, which the Anamalai Tiger Reserve officials had objected to by citing that the land identified was in the core tiger reserve.
After the removal of their huts, the tribals had staged a protest and a fast to reiterate and establish their rights, Mr. Thanaraj said.
The tribal people decided to take the issue to the notice of the Collector, who was the chairman of the district committee as per the Forest Rights Act, because the forest officials in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve continued with their objection even after the Kadar families got the title deeds.
At the Monday’s meeting, the tribal people impressed upon the District Collector the need to establish huts at their will, though within the extent mentioned in the title deed.
They explained how they looked at various aspects of nature, factored in animal movement, etc. while building the huts, Mr. Thanaraj said.
