Adivasi communities in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu reject wildlife tourism, demand halt to forest relocations
मुख्य बातें
- •Over 35 Adivasi villages in Karnataka’s Nagarahole forest belt issued a joint “Nagarhole Declaration” on Thursday, demanding an immediate moratorium on all forest relocations.
- •The declaration follows a three-day community dialogue in Balekavu village, attended by Adivasi activists from Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
- •Activists accuse forest authorities and conservation groups of evicting indigenous families and commercialising ancestral lands through wildlife tourism and tiger reserve expansions.
- •The declaration demands that ancestral territories be recognised as “scheduled areas” under the Constitution and seeks the suspension of all safari operations until consent is obtained.
Over 35 Adivasi villages in Karnataka’s Nagarahole forest belt have issued a joint declaration opposing the expansion of tiger reserves and wildlife tourism, alleging that forest authorities and conservation groups are evicting indigenous families and commercialising ancestral lands without consent. The “Nagarhole Declaration,” released on Thursday, demands an immediate moratorium on all relocations from forests, stating that none of the evictions have been voluntary.
