Tribes Fight "Safari Spectacle" in Forests

Indigenous Adivasi communities from Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have united to challenge the expansion of wildlife tourism and tiger reserves. These communities accuse forest authorities and conservation organizations of transforming their ancestral homelands into commercial safari spectacles, leading to the eviction of tribal families.

A joint declaration, the "Nagarhole Declaration," was issued by over 35 Adivasi villages. It demands an immediate halt to all forest-related relocations, stating they are not voluntary. The declaration specifically criticizes the National Tiger Conservation Authority and forest departments for usurping customary lands and treating them as commercial assets.

Activists argue that conservation efforts, particularly fortress-style models supported by NGOs, amount to colonization rather than protection. They assert that the rights guaranteed under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 have been ignored, rendering many Adivasi communities "constitutionally invisible."

The tribes are demanding that their ancestral territories be recognized as "scheduled areas" to grant them stronger self-governance rights. They seek the suspension of all safari operations until informed consent is obtained from the Gram Sabhas, highlighting that the conflict is about the survival of indigenous footprints versus the expansion of safari tourism.