Latest news with #YukeshSaravanan
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- 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.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Badaga people demand removal of pictures on them from Ooty photo exhibition
UDHAGAMANDALAM: The Badaga community people have demanded the immediate removal of a series of photographs from a photo exhibition in Ooty -- held as part of the Nilgiris Summer Festival -- as they show them in a poor light. The exhibition, titled 'Remembering and Reimagining,' is considered a visual journey through the history of the Nilgiris. It is conducted by the Nilgiris district administration in the RCTC hall. The series photos and a portion of the text above them outraged the Badaga community. The text reads, 'Many from the community converted to Christianity in the 19th century………' The Nilgiri Documentation Centre (NDC) also demanded the removal of the photos. 'In the name of a photography exhibition as part of the summer festival, misleading, mischievous and demeaning displays were exhibited wounding the sentiments of the indigenous people of the district,' the NDC said in a statement. Operation Sindoor After Pak dials India, both sides agree to stop firing; top military officials to talk on May 12 'Armed forces remain operationally ready': India after ceasefire announcement 'Any future act of terror will ...': India's big stand against Pak 'There is a clear bias towards conversions in the images and the writeup given. This is not only provocative but also an insult to the good work done by the missionaries in the past. An impression has been created that the indigenous people of the Nilgiris have been frozen in history. Some of the accounts are capable of causing ill will among the communities,' said NDC director Dharmalingam Venugopal. The district administration should have been careful and vetted the exhibits before putting them on official shows, the NDC said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10-Month-old is battling for his life and only you can save him! Give Hope India Donate Now Undo It said those who put up those exhibits should be cautioned for distorting history and facts for their narrow personal goals. 'These offensive displays should be removed forthwith before they cause further damage,' the NDC release said. Activist Yukesh Saravanan from Kannerimukku village said describing the Badagas as followers of a different faith since the 19th century is blameworthy and condemnable. 'The display of pictures is frivolous and exhibits the poor quality of the collection,' he said.
