annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Karnataka<br />
62,000 hectares as the temporary area of<br />
the national park. It covered two state<br />
<strong>for</strong>ests and two reserve <strong>for</strong>ests across 38<br />
villages, five taluks and three zilas. In<br />
2001, the state government issued the <strong>final</strong><br />
notification. While 57,628 hectre area was<br />
declared as the national park, 3703<br />
hectares of <strong>for</strong>estland was notified <strong>for</strong> the<br />
purpose of mining. 25<br />
In December 2004, the villagers of the<br />
Mallandur Gram Panchayat from<br />
Byaravalli, Avati, Beranagodu, Siragodu,<br />
and other villages under the Masagali<br />
Forest limits, claimed that out of 1297<br />
acres of reserve land under the Masagali<br />
<strong>for</strong>est limit, 867 acres are revenue land.<br />
More than 200 families who have been<br />
living in the Masagali <strong>for</strong>est limit <strong>for</strong> many<br />
years and all possess valid documents to<br />
prove that government had sanctioned<br />
their lands. 26<br />
On 28 December 2004, District<br />
Progressive Tribal Association and several<br />
other tribal welfare organisations took out<br />
a procession in Mysore demanding<br />
implementation of welfare measures<br />
directly by the state government instead of<br />
the Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat,<br />
constitution of a high-level investigation<br />
from the <strong>Centre</strong> and the State governments<br />
on the alleged misuse of reservation given<br />
to tribals, undertaking training<br />
programmes <strong>for</strong> the tribal youth, providing<br />
of fair price shops in tribal areas and<br />
Antyodaya (Below Poverty Line) cards <strong>for</strong><br />
tribal families and upgradation of Ashram<br />
schools in tribal areas. 27<br />
Those who were espousing the rights<br />
122<br />
of the indigenous peoples have been facing<br />
threats from the <strong>for</strong>est authorities. On 28<br />
April 2004, a special panel of the Supreme<br />
Court gave some reprieve to Kudremukh<br />
Wildlife Foundation (KWF), an NGO<br />
which was allegedly targeted by <strong>for</strong>est<br />
officials <strong>for</strong> exposing a series of violations<br />
of apex court orders pertaining to the<br />
Kudremukh National Park. The Forest<br />
Department had <strong>report</strong>edly sent a list of 78<br />
questions to the NGO, ranging from their<br />
source of funding, registration details to<br />
permission required to work within the<br />
<strong>for</strong>est. Charges were later slapped under<br />
the Wildlife Protection Act and the<br />
Karnataka Forest Rules <strong>for</strong> trespassing<br />
into the park in 2001. On 19 April 2004,<br />
the Deputy Conservator of Forests Anita<br />
Arekal <strong>report</strong>edly issued summons to the<br />
NGO. Three days later, the DCF raided the<br />
premises of Niren Jain, a KWF member,<br />
and seized computers, diaries and<br />
documents. The Supreme Court panel has<br />
decided to set up an independent inquiry<br />
and stayed the summons against the KWF<br />
issued by the Forest Department till the<br />
probe <strong>report</strong> was filed. 28<br />
V. Prisons and prisoners<br />
Besides deaths of undertrials, torture<br />
of prisoners, unhygienic cells, substandard<br />
food and lack of medical facilities<br />
were common in the prisons.<br />
On the night of 2 July 2004, an<br />
undertrial named Hanumanthraya<br />
Madivalappa Biradara of Aski village in<br />
Sindagi taluk allegedly committed suicide<br />
by hanging inside the Bijapur prison. 29