Context:
Under conservation activities, the Munda tribal families of Jamunagarh village in Similipal Tiger Reserve have been displaced from their native land. This has been done against the will of its members more than once in 2015 and in 2022. Traditional performances and rituals till date have been banned, including rituals involving visits to sacred groves and burial grounds.
Cause of Recent Conflict
- Translocating the tainted tigress Zeenat from Maharashtra involved encroaching on tribal lands.
- Closure of prior village habitats by STR officials was due to the tiger supplementation program.
- The tribal voices maintain that such acts amount to infringement on their religious and cultural rights.
Tribal Voices and Protests
- Munda tribesmen protested in Bhubaneswar, demanding their right to continue with rituals.
- This has caused a great deal of emotional and spiritual distress to the displaced community, according to community leaders.
- Their health and well-being are at stake since elderly people are reportedly falling sick or dying due to loss of ancestral land.
Conservation vs. Human Rights: A Growing Debate
- The gates are locked to the outside world, as the authorities work to revive the tiger population.
- Tribal groups argue for coexistence, claiming that their traditions do not harm wildlife.
- The issue raises questions about how conservation and indigenous rights may be balanced under the Forest Rights Act.
The Munda Tribes
The Munda are an ethnic group of people in India who primarily live in the Chhotanagpur Plateau region. They are one of India’s largest scheduled tribes.
- Location
- Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tripura, and Uttarakhand.
- Language
- Mundari, which is part of the Austro-Asiatic language family
The conflict in STR brings to light the wildlife conservation challenges posed by indigenous traditions. With the ever-increasing mosaic of legal and ethical debates surrounding any form of displacement, the need to find an avenue that is acceptable and productive for tribal heritage versus conservation is pressing.
Source: The Hindu
