25-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Orissa High Court issues notice over ban on tribal ritual in Similipal Tiger Reserve
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued notice to the project administrator of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Baripada, regarding the order prohibiting the Munda tribal community inhabitants of village Jamunagarh from performing their rituals at the sacred place named Jayara which comes within the territorial jurisdiction of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).
Deputy director of STR had issued the prohibition order on January 22, 2025. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman issued the notice on a writ appeal and fixed July 21 for hearing on the matter along with reply to the notice.
The appeal was filed by Nandu Ho and two other residents of Jamunagarh against a single judge's order on March 3, 2025 declining to entertain a petition on the same issue. During the hearing on Monday, advocate Afraaz Suhail appearing on behalf of the petitioners submitted that the Munda tribal community have been performing their sacred rituals in Jamunagarh area for generations.
During the hearing of the petition before the single judge Justice SK Panigrahi, the counsel for the government of India and state government advocate had submitted that since 'Tiger Supplementation Programme' is going on in STR, the authorities, in order to save the life of the humans, have not given permission to the petitioners to perform their rituals at Jayara.
While disposing of the petition, Justice Panigrahi had observed that the concern raised by the authorities was genuine.
'However, considering the request of counsel for the petitioners, this court makes it clear that after the tiger supplementation programme in and around the Similipal Tiger Reserve gets over, the petitioners may be permitted to perform their rituals at the sacred place,' Justice Panigrahi had ordered.
