Miles to go, still…

In an exercise that acknowledges individual claims under the RFRA, the government organized a land distribution programme at Yarakatte, Kollegal taluk on 29th August 2010. With this, the Recognition of Forest Rights Act has finally been implemented in B.R. Hills.

1115 families received land patta to approximately 1600 acres of lands. On the same day, land was distributed in all the tribal podu of B.R. Hills. In the second phase of distribution on 30th August, more than 800 families will get their individual claims honoured in Kollegal and Chamarajanagara.

Importantly, the District Commissioner and Divisional Conservation of Forests announced that community rights will be granted in September 2010. This will be a significant event at BRT since it will benefit even those Soligas who do not currently have access to land.

The amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 2002 made collection of NTFP and other forest use illegal in protected areas. Although the Forest Department allowed collection for sometime, the ban was enforced in 2006 and created conflict between the Soligas and the state. The Soliga community has had vigilant community leadership under the Soliga Abhivridhi Sangha, and the support of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra(NGO). Both these institutions have played a vital role in raising awareness and facilitating the process of claiming individual and community rights under RFRA. ATREE has been working with both these institutions over the last decade, on participatory assessment and monitoring of biodiversity, and after RFRA enactment, on the role of local governance in biodiversity management and conservation, as well as in the process of claiming rights.

The land distribution event was attended by politicians, Forest Department officials of Chamarajanagara, Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary and Kollegal; Dr. H. Sudarshan of VGKK; and Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivrudhi Sangha and SAS members.