Thousands of tribals residing in the core zones of India's tiger reserves have launched protests against the government's directive to accelerate their relocation from these areas.

The tribal communities, asserting their rights under the Forest Rights Act, are now planning to gather in Delhi to demand "justice" for their livelihoods and traditions that are closely linked to the forests.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) issued an order on June 19, directing forest officials to expedite the rehabilitation of 64,801 families from 591 villages located within the core areas of 54 tiger reserves.

"The progress of village relocation is very slow and it poses grave concern in light of tiger conservation. It will be highly appreciated if the issue of village relocation may be taken up on a priority basis and timeline may be framed for smooth relocation of the villages from the core/critical tiger habitat areas," the NTCA letter read.

NTCA Member Secretary Gobindsagar Bhardwaj told PTI that the directions were issued in accordance with the law.

"The letter is part of a routine exercise, and the relocation of villages from tiger reserves is entirely voluntary. There is no confusion. It appears that some people have misinterpreted the letter," he said.

A tiger reserve consists of two zones -- the core (critical tiger habitat) and the buffer (peripheral area).

According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, core areas must remain "inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation". The buffer areas, in contrast, permit sustainable human activities alongside wildlife conservation.

Tribal and indigenous communities residing in the core areas say they have lived in harmony with nature and forests for generations and their livelihoods, culture, and traditions are deeply connected to the forest ecosystem.

Under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, these communities are granted individual and community rights to access, manage and use forest resources, as well as live in these forests.

However, they argue that the "contentious" and "delayed" implementation of FRA has left them vulnerable to forced eviction.

Over the last two weeks, protests have erupted in several tiger reserves, including Rajaji (Uttarakhand), Nagarhole (Karnataka), Udanti-Sitanadi (Chhattisgarh), Achanakmar (Chhattisgarh), and Kaziranga (Assam), against the NTCA's relocation directive.

Community leaders plan a rally in Delhi in October-November, calling for the swift implementation of the FRA and the revocation of the NTCA order.

Seemanchal, a resident of Lormi village in the core area of Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Chhattisgarh, said around 3,000 people from five Baiga community villages could be affected by the NTCA's order.

The Baigas, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, rely on shifting cultivation and forest resources for their livelihood.

"There were 25 villages in the reserve. People in six were relocated in 2013-14, but their situation worsened. They are now daily wage labourers living in deplorable conditions," Seemanchal said.

Of the remaining 19 villages, 14 received community forest rights in 2022-23 through the efforts of ATR Sangharsh Samiti, but the process is still pending for five villages.

He said if the forest dwellers remain in the area, their rights will be restricted -- they won't be allowed to graze cattle, collect water, or gather forest produce like Tendu leaves or Mahua flowers.

On the other hand, if relocated, they would be forced into unfamiliar and exploitative work conditions, he claimed.

Benipuri Goswami, a forest rights activist in Chhattisgarh, said villagers from the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve recently protested at the offices of district magistrates in Gariaband and Dhamtari.

According to him, 34 villages in Dhamtari and 17 in Gariaband fall within the reserve's core zone. Only 21 villages in Dhamtari and nine in Gariaband have been granted community rights, he said.

The protesters submitted a letter to Union Environment Minister and NTCA chairman Bhupender Yadav, expressing concern over the relocation directive.

The letter said that the rights and roles of tribal communities are crucial to sustainable conservation and are protected by national and international laws.

"The NTCA order is a direct violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," the letter read, warning the order could lead to "conflict and confrontation" between state authorities and forest communities.

Arjun Nayak, a member of the Bhunjia tribe in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, said, "Most of the people in these villages belong to Bhunjia and Kamar PVTGs. We live in harmony with nature and protect forest resources from exploitation by greedy industries. That is why they want us removed." He said the affected villagers plan to converge in Delhi during the next Parliament session, to protest the NTCA order.

Representatives from protected areas across the country will participate and they plan to meet the opposition leaders to urge them to raise the issue in Parliament, Nayak said.

Villagers from the Gauri Range area of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand also protested last week.

Following this, the Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan sent letters to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), and the NTCA, objecting to the relocation order.

"The (NTCA) letter violates the rights and role of forest-dependent communities in conservation and is in complete violation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 and Wildlife Protection Act 2006 and LARR 2013," the Sangathan's letter said.

Its founder Mohd Meer Hamja said while the NTCA claims relocation is voluntary, restrictions on core area residents force them to leave.

He warned the NTCA order will affect thousands living in the core zones of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Jim Corbett National Park, where the NTCA letter "doesn't even acknowledge the rights of long-standing forest communities".

Reacting to the NTCA order and protests that followed, Caroline Pearce, the director of UK-based NGO Survival International said, "These evictions are unlawful according to both national and international law, and don't work. The forest, the indigenous people and the tigers can't survive without one another."

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