Tribal Communities Demand Justice Against Tiger Reserve Relocation

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes will form a committee to assess if states follow guidelines when relocating tribal communities from India's tiger reserves. The move follows the NTCA's directive for relocating families from core areas to aid tiger conservation. Tribal protests are underway, asserting rights under the Forest Rights Act.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes announced plans to establish a committee to ensure states adhere to guidelines during the relocation of tribal communities from India's tiger reserves. This follows a National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) directive urging urgent relocation of families from core reserve areas.

In response to NTCA's instructions, tribal communities have protested, emphasizing their ancestral ties to the forest lands. Many plan to converge in Delhi seeking justice as they argue their rights under the Forest Rights Act are being overlooked. The Commission's upcoming committee will investigate adherence to legal guidelines.

The NTCA clarified that the relocation is voluntary, aiming at better tiger conservation, yet misunderstood by some tribal representatives. With tensions rising, the dual requirement of tiger conservation and community rights remains a challenging balancing act for authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)