Tribal association demands withdrawal of NTCA order seeking relocation of families in tiger reserves

Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association opposes NTCA order to relocate families in core tiger zones, plans protests and resolutions.

The Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association has called on the State government to reject an order from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which urged States to expedite the relocation of families living in core tiger zones. The association has also demanded that the NTCA withdraw the order.

In a letter sent to State governments in June, the NTCA noted that there were 54 tiger reserves across 19 States in the country, and 591 villages, comprising 64,801 families, reside in core tiger zones across these reserves. The letter instructed the States to relocate these families from the forest areas as soon as possible. In Tamil Nadu, 4,113 families live in five tiger reserves, with 656 families spread across 10 villages in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).

To formulate an action plan, various associations and residents from hill areas such as Talavadi, Hasanur, Talamalai, and Kadambur, as well as those from the Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserves, convened in Sathyamangalam on Monday. The meeting was chaired by former Bhavanisagar MLA P.L. Sundaram, and included speeches by V.P. Gunasekaran, state committee member of the tribal association, R. Arulsamy, district president of the association, and S. Mohan Kumar of the Communist Party of India, who discussed the implications of the NTCA letter.

After deliberations, members resolved to demand the withdrawal of the relocation plan by the Central government. They called for gram sabha meetings to be held in over 200 villages in the STR, where resolutions against the order would be passed on October 2. Additionally, they agreed to organise a large-scale protest in Sathyamangalam in the last week of October. A movement was formed to protect the rights of those living in STR: Puligal Kappaga Makkal Vazhvurimai Kootamaippu (Federation for Tiger Reserve People’s Rights).