1,500 Tribals Thrown Out Of Their Homes In Devamachi Forest In Karnataka

Such a shame in the name of civilisation! The keepers of the forest, the tribals of the Devamachi forest in Karnataka have been forced out of their homes by the forest department. All their 577 huts were razed and the shocked tribals were thrown onto the streets. More than 1,500 tribes lost the right to stay in their own district, a violation of their fundamental rights provided in the Constitution.

The families are now living in a vacant place near the Ashrama School run by the social welfare department.

They got a further shock when some social welfare officials told their staff not to give water or supply food provided by the department.?

The forest department even cut the water supply.?

The tribals wait for their food, living in the open ground but are determined to get back their land. The tribes are provided food by donors. State anti-land grabbing committee representatives Sirimane Nagaraj, Krishnamurthy Chamanam D S Nirvanappa, farmers' association representatives Joganalli Gurumurthy and Kandagal Shrinivas, activist Appaji along with actor Chethan, Janandolana representative Nemichandra and the local Zilla Parishad and taluk panchayat representatives Viju Subramani and Ajith Karumbaiah took part in a protest dharna.

J K Muthamma, the tribal woman leader, warned that she would strip in protest in front of officials and politicians. J K Sami said he would also do something similar to get justice for the tribals.

Representational image by Pinterest

Meanwhile, Virajpet range?forest officer Gopal said the land is reserve forest. The encroachment by tribes due to some mediators started on June 20. "I reported it to the revenue department that day itself and police helped us vacate the huts. The number of huts steadily increased. We got help from the district administration to evict the huts on December 7," he said, adding, "The land is a reserve forest and the tahsildar is ready to give alternative land in B Shettigeri and Kunda villages but the tribes rejected the offer. The law permits us to regularise encroached land touching forest area if the encroachment was before December 2005. Many encroachments were easily regularised. But in the Diddalli case, the process started six months ago and the law will not permit regularisation."

Virajpet DFO Suryasena said suitable lands were identified to provide alternative dwelling places in various parts of the district and the forest department is ready to cooperate with the tribes to rehabilitate them.