A sense of solidarity ran across the room as Shivu raised his voice and echoed the slogan- Nargarholeya kaadu namm ajjaya na beedu. Kaadena makkalu naveney, Kaadina raajaru naaveney (Nagarhole forest is our ancestors’ home. We are the children of the forest, and its rulers). Shivu, a young Adivasi along with others has taken it upon himself to resist the displacement of Adivasis. The ongoing struggle of the Adivasi communities in Nagarhole, spanning decades, reflects a fight for survival, identity, and harmony with nature. This struggle began in 1974 when the indigenous people faced displacement due to the creation of forest reserves and later intensified with various conservation schemes that sought to expel them from their ancestral lands. While the protests enabled improvement in the conditions of Adivasis in some parts of the forest, in many other areas the Adivasis are till date shamelessly deprived of their rights conferred on them by both the Constitution and the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
One of the first notable protests came during the construction of the Taj hotel in the forests of Nagarhole, a project designed to promote tourism. While the protests yielded a successful result, the struggle did not stop there. When Nagarhole was declared as a tiger reserve in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, the authorities blatantly disregarded and bypassed the law, ignoring the voices of the people. No consent was sought, and Gram Sabha meetings were callously cast aside. According to the community, much of what happens in the name of conservation is outside the bounds of the law. The stories from the forest reveal the atrocities experienced by the Adivasis. Community leaders like Thimma and Shivu have consistently raised awareness of the horrors their people face, including being falsely charged for merely asserting their rights. Shivu spoke of the atrocities committed by authorities like K. L. Chinappa, a former forest ranger, who is remembered by the community as a tyrannical figure akin to Yama (the Vedic god of death). He has been accused of burning homes and even killing those who oppose the displacement. Thimma, too, has faced charges for constructing a home in what has been their land for generations. The Adivasis’ plight worsens when they attempt to assert their legal rights through protests or by accessing legal aid. They are often branded as Naxalites, which results in them being kept under constant surveillance.
The government and various other organizations under the guise of conservation are merely trying to benefit from the rich resources available in the forests. The forests have been cleared for plantations, and the Adivasis are being forced to live in ‘line houses’, where they have no ownership or sense of belonging. They have been reduced to the role of slaves. The authorities continue to place restrictions on Adivasis for collection of minor produce like tendu leaves or honey and fishing. These restrictions not only violate their legal rights but also destroy the way of life of Adivasis.
Thimma, in his talk, pointed out the irony of the struggle. For instance, the hypocrisy and foolishness of the State was emphasized when hundreds of square metres of trees were cut down to enable smooth safari rides. Thimma humorously stated that he could show the people the forest and its wildlife without even breaking a twig. While the government proudly boasts about its conservation efforts, the Adivasis have long been the true guardians of the forest, taking only what they need from the forest and leaving it intact for future generations. For them, animals like the tiger and the peacock are sacred, embodying the divine. Their form of conservation is rooted in respect and coexistence, not in the construction of fences or the cutting down of trees to build roads. As rightly said by Thimma “It is no lie to say that there is a world of difference between their idea of conservation and our understanding of it.”
In regard to the recent efforts of the Adivasis, Shivu spoke about a letter being written to National Tiger Conservation Authorities (N.T.C.A.) questioning the order which enabled displacement of 590 villages in 19 states, which have been declared as tiger reserve areas. Recent protests, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought their struggle back into focus. From 2020 to 2023, the Adivasi communities have consistently opposed government schemes that threaten their homeland. They remind the authorities that their ancestral lands, documented on maps of Nagarhole, bear the names of their ancestors. These lands have been theirs for hundreds of years, and no government can sever their bond with the forest.
Ultimately the struggle for land in Nagarhole is not just about territory. It is about preserving a way of life that has existed in balance with nature for centuries. The Adivasis, as stewards and masters of the forest, understand that true conservation is about coexistence, not dissonance and displacement. As they continue their fight, they serve as a reminder that the land is not just a resource to be exploited, but a home to be protected—both for the wildlife and the people who have lived there for generations.
