Minister objects to eviction

GANDHINAGAR, Nov 16: Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Kanjibhai Patel has taken a serious view of the move initiated by his own de...

GANDHINAGAR, Nov 16: Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Kanjibhai Patel has taken a serious view of the move initiated by his own department to quot;forciblyquot; evict maldharis cattle-breeders and their cattle from the Gir lion sanctuary areas in Junagadh district. The minister has also warned forest officials against the quot;harassment and persecutionquot; of these maldharis.

The minister8217;s reaction came when a delegation of maldharis called on him here on Tuesday and complained about a spate of eviction notices being issued to the maldharis by the district forest officials. The delegation 8212; led by Ashok Shrimali of SETU, Karsan Chopda of Maldhari Sangharsh Samiti and Allarakha Sheikh of Saurashtra Paryavaran Sanrakshan Parishad 8212; submitted a memorandum to Patel, seeking early solution to the maldharis8217; long-pending demands.

Later, the minister told Express Newsline, quot;The government will protect the interests of the maldharis living in Gir for years and ensure that they are not being evacuated forcibly till the settlement process is overquot;.

During the representation to the minister, Ashok Shrimali complained that of the total 184 families living in the Junagadh west Gir forest area, as many as 97 were declared quot;illegalquot; occupants and issued eviction notices early this month despite the fact that these maldhari families have been living there since birth. The process of issuing such notices to 42 other families declared as non-permanent ones was on, Shrimali said.

Shrimali wondered how the forest department could declare these maldhari families as quot;illegalquot; occupants when it was yet to complete the process of settlement rights of the cattle-breeders living in the Gir neses8217;.

quot;Despite the Supreme court8217;s directive to the government to complete this process by August 1998, the district authorities are yet to complyquot;, he said.

In the memorandum, the delegation also complained about the inordinate delay on the part of the government in issuing certificates according the status of Scheduled Tribe to the maldharis. quot;This despite the Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel8217;s assurance in September 1998 that this would be done in a month timequot;, recalled the delegation.

Story continues below this ad

Describing the issuance of eviction notices as a quot;blatant violationquot; of the World Bank guidelines, the maldharis8217; representatives said the bank8217;s directive to the forest department was clear that quot;while implementing the WB-aided eco-development project in Gir, relocation of maldharis under the project will be voluntary and that no involuntary re-settlement for any people residing within the project areas will be allowed to be carried out without the bank8217;s prior approvalquot;.

In fact, the contract signed between the WB and the Central Government on the eco-development project prohibits the State Government from evicting the maldharis from either the Gir National park or the Gir Lion Sanctuary against their wishes, argues the memorandum. It has also opposed the government8217;s proposal to extend the Gir National Park area, contending that the move will deprive the maldharis of their livelihood.