Latest news with #MadrasForestAct
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Unethical to call Badagas forest encroachers: Activist
COIMBATORE: A Kotagiri-based activist, Yukesh Saravanan, who is also the convenor of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Youth Caucus, has called out the forest department for its unethical approach in evicting residents of Ajoor, a Badaga hamlet in Udhagamandalam Taluk, two days after they filed a petition with the Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneru. "It is morally incorrect to term Badagas as encroachers of forest lands, owing to anthropological and archeological evidence, which is a testament to their intricate relationship with forests. The 1809 census enumeration, documented by the British, substantially claims the presence of a Badaga populace in Ajoor. This data was gathered before the introduction of the Madras Forest Act and Indian Forest Act in 1882 and 1927, respectively. The contentious region today is mostly plantations and has around 350 houses, untouched by any factors impairing environmental balance," said Yukesh Saravanan, who sent a letter to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, demanding the forest department withdraw its move. He added that the residents bearing the brunt of eviction are fit to be classified as Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs). "The provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 aim to recognise and vest forest rights, including the right to live in the forest, cultivate and collect forest produce. Mulling their eviction not only undermines the harmonious co-existence between people and forests, but also disregards constitutional mandates to save the custodians of forests," he said.
India Gazette
04-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Rajnath Singh pays tribute to freedom fighter Alluri Sitaram Raju on 128th birth anniversary
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday paid tribute to freedom fighter Alluri Sitaram Raju on his 128th birth anniversary. In a post on X, Singh wrote that the freedom fighter's life of sacrifice and resistance continued to inspire generations in pursuit of justice and self-respect. 'Tributes to the valiant freedom fighter Shri Alluri Sitaram Raju on his 128th birth anniversary. He led the Rampa Rebellion against British rule and stood fearlessly for the rights and dignity of tribal communities. His life of sacrifice and resistance continues to inspire generations in our pursuit of justice and self-respect,' the post read. The Defence Minister will also pay a visit to Hyderabad on Friday to attend the anniversary celebrations of the freedom fighter. Alluri Sitaram Raju, a prominent leader from the south, in India's struggle for freedom, is known for his role in the rebellion against British rule. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's ideas, Raju strongly believed that the British could only be overthrown through force and resistance. The fighter's primary focus resisted the imposed Forest Acts, which curtailed the access of the tribals to lands and forests. Raju was the leader of the popular Rampa Rebellion against the British. The Rampa Rebellion was a revolt of tribal communities against the enforcement of Madras Forest Act, 1882. The Act restricted rights of tribal people on the use of forest resources and the practice of shifting cultivation. A leader of the tribal people against the British, the freedom fighter was also hailed as the country's Robin Hood for engaging in guerrilla warfare against the forces. Raju was, however, subjected to brutal torture by the British at the age of 27 on May 7, 1924. Remembered as 'Manyam Veerudu' -- Hero of the Jungle, the fighter today is known for his courage, resistance and patriotism. His leadership in the Tribal uprising against the British inspired several leaders and movements. (ANI)
