Residents of Bargur Hills in Erode to go ahead with demonstration against wildlife sanctuary notification

Residents of Bargur Hills in Erode plan to stage a demonstration urging the government to withdraw a wildlife sanctuary notification.

The residents of Bargur Hills in Erode who are urging the State government to withdraw the wildlife sanctuary notification have decided to go ahead with their demonstration on February 12, after talks with the officials from the Revenue and Police Department on Saturday failed.

The State government had notified 80,114.80 hectares of reserve forests in Bargur Hills and Gobichettipalayam taluks as Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. But, the residents in the hill area said that their rights conferred under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, were being declined. As per the court’s order, they were prohibited from taking their cattle for grazing in the forest areas. They fear that their rights would be curtailed if the Forest Department imposes more restrictions after the notification. Hence, urging the government to withdraw the notification and implement the Forest Rights Act, they have planned to stage a demonstration in Anthiyur.

On Saturday, Bhavani Deputy Superintendent of Police Amritha Varshini, Anthiyur Tahsildar, Police Inspectors, and officials from the Forest Department held talks with the people in the hill area.

V.P. Gunasekaran, State Committee Member of the Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association, told officials that traditional rights for tribal people and forest dwellers, including protecting forests, were given in the Act. “But, the Act was not implemented in the past 17 years. Also, without consulting the people, the government has come out with the notification,” he said and wanted the notification withdrawn.

While officials asked them to submit their grievance as a petition and postpone their demonstration, Mr. Gunasekaran said they had submitted many petitions from 2022 for which no action was taken so far. He also wanted to know how cattle could survive if they were not allowed grazing. “There is a fear among the people that the sanctuary would be converted as tiger reserve and more restrictions imposed on them. Hence, they have to voice their concerns to the government,” he said and added that they would go ahead with their demonstration.