Tribals fear loss of home

Story/Place-Brahmagiri,
TNN Jun 18, 2011,
BRAHMAGIRI (Kodagu): "Are you from the government?'' asks Kuliya, a Yarava tribal, when anyone visits their tiny hamlets set in secluded forests. Uncertainty is writ large on his face, he does not want to trust visitors. Even tourists frequenting the village, located in the foothills of the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, are looked at with suspicion.
Fear and uncertainty stalks not only Kuliya, but also Chikki, Moti, Bola, Kariya and other indigenous tribals of Kodagu. ``Some politicians visited our place yesterday (Thursday) and told us that we would be chased out of the forest soon. If we want to stay longer, they asked us to support their agitation. Why is that?'' asks Kariya.
Tribals fear they will be displaced and denied their seasonal source of income from firewood, tamarind, gooseberry, wild fruits and other minor forest produce.
Praveen Bhargav, a wildlifer, said people who are against the World Heritage tag have also launched propaganda against NGOs working in the Western Ghats, saying they get huge funds from Unesco and other foreign organizations for conservation. "Actually it is the Karnataka government which will benefit, though not directly, as Unesco will provide funds to the Centre as per the UN pact,'' he added.
Kodagu home to wildlife
Kodagu has a national park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarahole) and three wildlife sanctuaries -- Brahmagiri, Pushpagiri and Talacauvery -- which are proposed for world heritage tags. The forest is tropical wet evergreen and tropical semi-evergreen. The small district has the highest concentration of elephants in the country, and possesses around 30 tigers and over 100 Black King cobras.

source-timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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