Relocation from Kawal reserve: Tribals do a U-turn

ADILABAD: The delay in relocating the Adivasis from the tribal hamlets inside the Kawal tiger reserve has reportedly made the Adivasis,who had earlier agreed to shift to an alternate place shown by the forest department, take a U-turn. They are now opposing the decision of relocation of their hamlets.The Jannaram reserve forest was announced as Kawal Tiger zone in 2012 by the then United progressive alliance (UPA) government. Right from the announcement, the Adivasi organisations had taken up several agitations against the proposal to shift them out of the Tiger zone.

Several round of discussions have been initiated by the higher officials with the Adivasis and their leaders for more than a year. The tribal delegations were also taken to Tadoba Tiger reserve in Maharashtra, where the tribals have been relocated, and after observing the facilities provided as part of the rehabilitation & relocation package, the tribals reportedly agreed to shift. The Adivasis also believed that since there was a movement of tiger, the area can act as a tiger zone for the protection of wildlife.

However, the officials delayed the release of funds towards the relocation of the Adivasis. Added to this, when in the recently conducted tiger census, no tiger movement was not noticed by the officials, the adivasis made a U-turn.

Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi (Thudum Debba) State president and Boath Ex MLA Soyam Bapu Rao had started a demand that the government should roll back its decision of relocation as there was no tiger in the tiger zone as per the recent census. He also said that government was giving priority to tigers rather than Adivasis. The Adivasis claim that they are unable to leave in the plains as they depend on the forests for their livelihoods.