Kerala’s tribals will get forest land

This issue reached a flashpoint after 700 landless tribals entered the Muthanga wildlife sanctuary and stayed there for nearly a month demanding land. It ended in a bloody battle where one policeman and at least one tribal were killed. A CBI inquiry is underway.

Antony had also met the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Monday from whom he received ‘‘positive signals for the first time’’.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has been a bit cautious about this development and, in a statement issued, has said ‘‘a team of experts will visit Kerala for an on-the-spot survey of issues related to diversion of 12,000 hectares of vested forest land.’’ Ministry officials maintain that they will finally decide after the team’s visit.

The biggest hurdle so far was the Wildlife Protection Act 1980. So what has Antony found that has changed the entire picture this visit? The legal loophole that Antony has been able to point out to the Prime Minister and Environment and Forest Minister T R Baalu is land procured under the Kerala Private Forest Act 1971.

‘‘This means that this land does not fall into the Forest Act and it also has a provision by where 50 per cent of the land can be given to Schedule Cast and tribals,’’ said Antony. This Act has also been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Kerala government employed the expertise of legal eagle K K Venugopal to find a solution to this deadlock.

‘‘It pained me a lot to hear Kerala being called Somalia by international agencies when I am the only CM to come each time to Delhi to ask for more land for tribals,’’ said Antony. He claimed he had done a lot to improve their lot in all spheres including education and employment.

Antony claimed that he was only trying to fulfill the promises made by his predecessor to give 5 acres to the tribals. The MoEF kept turning down the request as it would set a wrong precedence. In fact, strongly-worded letters were written by the Ministry to the Chief Secretary asking them to take action when the tribals squatted for days. ‘‘Forcible eviction was not an option because the Wayanad tribals are the poorest and I always said that it has to be the last option,’’ said Antony.

It had really angered the wildlife activists as the sanctuary was part of the precious Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the place where the tribals were was the elephant corridor. They were adding that extra bit of pressure to not give in to Antony’s demands. A petition was also given to the Central Empowered Committee to look into the issue.