Centre to Karnataka: Mitigate Jenu Kurubas’ woes | Bengaluru News
MYSURU: In a significant relief to 52 Jenu Kuruba families of Karadikallu Atturu Kolli, a tribal hamlet located inside Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, the Union ministry of tribal affairs directed the tribal welfare department of Karnataka to take necessary action to mitigate the challenges faced by the community.This hamlet is situated in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district, 90km from the district headquarters of Madikeri. Since the first week of May, these 52 families returned to their original haadis inside Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. They are seeking rights on their ancestors’ land as per provisions of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The forest department earlier asked the tribals to leave the haadi. However, the tribal families are demanding land rights under the FRA.According to the Union govt’s directive, it asked the state-level monitoring committee to monitor the process of recognition and vesting of forest rights and resolve such field-level problems. Consequently, the representation is being forwarded to the state govt to take action that will mitigate the challenges faced by the community.According to the activists, all Jenu Kuruba families are now staying inside the tiger reserve.Tribal welfare department secretary Randeep D informed, “We will first ask the district-level committee (DLC) under the DC to submit a report for further necessary action,” he said.Jenu Kuruba community leader Shivu said on May 20, a gram sabha under the forest rights act will be held where the decision on the land rights of Jenu Kuruba community members will be decided. “We will seek the opinion of our ancestors on future course of action,” he explained. “Out of 10 makeshift huts we built, the forest department demolished four. Now we are staying in three huts while the rest of the huts are dedicated to our gods and ancestors.The forest department are deputed here to monitor us,” he said.“Recently, they installed a board warning that trespassing inside the tiger protected area is a crime,” he added.
