Truce called between agitating tribals and Karnataka government

There is a truce between the tribals evicted from Diddalli settlement in Devamachi Reserve Forest in Kodagu and the authorities following an assurance from the government that the 577 families can live there for another three months while sites are identified for their rehabilitation.

This was decided after a prolonged discussion involving Kodagu district in-charge Minister M.R. Seetharam, Pratap Simha, MP, K.G. Boppaiah, MLA, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Vincent D’ Souza, Conservator of Forests Manoj Kumar and others in Kodagu on Monday. The tribals had been agitating two weeks and were being supported by more than 50 organisations from across the State.

Earlier, Mr. Pratap Simha told reporters in Mysuru that those evicted would surely be rehabilitated. But he had ruled out the possibility of their resettlement at the same place, as was being demanded by the activists.

Mr. Simha told reporters the government was aware of the problems plaguing the tribals and was committed to addressing them, but the law of the land does not provide for their resettlement inside the forest. “Even a court will take strong objection to any violation as Devamachi was declared a reserve forest way back in 1891,” he said.

“But there is adequate land for the construction of houses and resettlement of the tribes in the region, and the government has identified nearly 253 acres of land in Somwarpet and 53 acres near Dubare where the resettlement plans can be implemented,” Mr. Simha said.

Tribal rights will be met under the Tribal Sub-Plan, under which the communities can be provided with housing, other amenities and three acres of land.

However, he hinted that not all the protesters at Diddalli were locals and that outsiders from coffee estates as well might have pitched their camps in order to claim three acres of land. He said according to government statistics, 2,703 applications were received for rehabilitation from Scheduled Tribes under the Forest Rights Act, of which 1,467 had been processed and deeds distributed, and 1,174 rejected.