In the lush green forests of Karnataka’s Nagarahole, the tribal community is once again facing the threat of eviction after returning to reclaim their ancestral village.
On May 5, about 52 families belonging to the Jenu Kuruba tribe marched towards their ancestral village—Karadi Kallu Hatter Kollehaadi—to reclaim their right to live on their land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Located between the border of Coorg in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala, Nagarahole is known for its Tiger Reserve. However, locals have alleged that they were historically forcefully displaced from their land, pushing them into bonded labour in coffee plantations.
On May 6, as the families entered their ancestral land, over 100 forest officials arrived in a threatening manner, demanding that the families leave the area as it is a “reserved forest,” and told them to submit their claims and wait for the process.
Maktoob was on the ground covering the entire situation. On May 7, the situation escalated when the Karnataka Forest Department, Karnataka State Police, and the Karnataka State Tiger Protection Force (STPF) entered the protest site around 7 PM, ordering the people to remove their tents.
Hundreds of officials carrying torches entered the area where the 52 families were camping and staging a protest. Women, children, babies, and men had just sat down for the evening when the forest police forcefully entered the area—despite having previously assured the community that such an action would not occur.
When asked the reason for this intervention, one of the officials said, “We have no issue with the protest, but the tents cannot be allowed.”
However, the move has left the situation tense, with officials doing nothing to deescalate the conflict.
Speaking to Maktoob moments before the officials entered with torchlights, J.A. Shivu, president of the Karadi Kallu Forest Rights Committee (FRC) and leader of the local community organisation Nagarahole Adivasi Jammapale Hakku Sthapana Samiti (NAJHSS), said that this is their ancestral land, where their forefathers had lived.
“We are just reclaiming what was ours. Our ancestors have tended to the forests and grown all the trees here. These officials tell us that the animals might harm us, but these animals and our community have lived together for centuries. These tigers are our spirits as well,” he said.
In a press conference held earlier on May 4 at the Bengaluru Press Club, the community members described the move as “an act of protest,” as the forest department is yet to recognise their land rights under the Forest Rights Act.
Shivu explained that they have followed due process under the FRA to reclaim their land.
“It is the Forest Department that is violating the three-month notice period under the FRA, within which they are supposed to respond to claims filed for Individual Forest Rights (IFR), Community Forest Rights (CFR), and Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR),” he said.
This was communicated to the forest officials, who ignored the requests of the community, forcing them to take this step.
Recently, claims were filed by the people of Thundumundage Kolli Gaddehaadi, Kanturuhaadi (Brahmagiri Pura), Karadikallu Hatturkollihaadi, and Balekkovuhaadi for recognition of IFR, CFR, and CFRR rights inside the Nagarahole forests.
According to the community leaders, the Jenu Kurubas have been filing IFR, CFR, and CFRR claims since 2021 and have consistently submitted memorandums and brought the issue to the attention of senior government authorities for recognition of their forest rights.
Even though the joint verification and GPS survey of their claims were conducted by the Panchayat Department, Tribal Welfare Department, Revenue officials, and Forest Department personnel, the Forest Department is now refusing to recognise the claims.
“We have shown them the remains of what used to be the houses of our elders. There is our ancestral temple and the graveyard as well,” Shivu added.
The community, which has a rich culture and history, has pledged to continue their resistance, no matter how hard the situation becomes.
“They claim to work for our benefit, but this is how we are treated. We are the natives of this land and that is the core of our fight. Our deities live here, and they have told us to come back, so we are here,” another member of the community said.
When Maktoob tried to speak to officials, they claimed no harm would be done to the community. However, since May 5, the people have been threatened and intimidated. While some officials have assured the community that their demands would be met, no such action has followed.
For many who experienced eviction from their homes in the 1970s and 1980s, the emotions of returning to their land are intense.
Kalinga, now 80 years old, was forcefully displaced from his house and land when the government designated the area as a tiger reserve.
“We have planted these trees and played under these trees. This land—everything—belongs to the tribals. Now these officials can threaten us, but we won’t leave. We are not going anywhere, even if it means giving our lives,” he said.
The Adivasi leaders have repeatedly highlighted the anti-indigenous conservation policies that have displaced hundreds of families in this region.
“In the name of conservation, they are throwing people out. Nobody is talking about how harmful these conservation policies are for the people,” said J.K. Thimma, president of NAJHSS and a member of the Thundumundage Kolli Gaddehaadi FRC, to Maktoob.
He further said they have been demanding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, for the past two decades.
“Many of our people, like the families of Karadi Kallu, were forced out of the forests when the Wildlife Protection Act was enacted in 1972,” he said.
CNAPA, a coalition of indigenous peoples and forest-dwelling communities, released a statement expressing solidarity with the people and condemned the “attempts to intimidate, forcefully evict, and desecrate the sacred spaces of the Jenu Kurubas by the Forest Department, its paramilitary troops, and the state police.”
“We demand an immediate withdrawal of all forces from inside Nagarahole, allowing media into the forests to interact with the families, and immediate recognition of rights under the FRA for all 52 families of Karadi Kallu Hatter Kollehaadi,” they stated.
Meanwhile, the situation remains tense as forest officials continue to threaten the tribal community while offering false assurances. The community, however, has firmly stated that they will not leave their land, even if force is used.
