COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR FOREST ADIVASI IN TAMIL NADU (CAFAT)

Collective for Action of Forest Adivasi in Tamil Nadu is a collective of six NGOs from Madurai , Theni, Dindugal and Virudhunagar Districts of south Tamil Nadu. This collective working with Paliyar tribes in Western Ghats region aims at building up Adivasi Paliyar Movement in Western Ghats Region of Tamil Nadu.

About Paliyar Tribes:

The aboriginal tribes, paliyars live now scattered in the hills of Madurai, Theni, Dindugul,Tiruppur, Virudhunagar,and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu. The originating place of paliyar adivasis is considered to be Poolavadi Puliyampatti in Palani hills of western Ghats where Palar dam in built now.

Physical Features and habitat:

A.G. Gardener ( 1972) the famous anthropologists says that paliyar tribes belong to “ Astroloids” and are similar to “ Semangs” of Malaysia in physical features .Paliyars are black in colour, with curly hair, thick lips, broad and flat nose. They are short in stature. Tamil is their language. In olden days, these people lived in small cave like structures called Kalazhais. Paliyars, today, list their ancestors with their azhais. In the medieval period, paliyars had small hut like structure between two rocks. Now the paliyars have colony houses built by the Government schemes or built their own small houses in the plains nearer to the hills from where they are thrown out. Some paliyar, who are still living in interior forests build their huts with minimum wood and grass that suits their climatic conditions.

Food Habits

The land and the forest are worshipped with reverence by Paliyars. Their habitat livelihood resources and their enriching culture are in unison with Nature. Roots, Honey, vegetables, fruits from the forests are their main food earlier and later they cultivated minor millets like samai, Thinai and Ragi. They are not in the practice of storing the surplus. The abundant water resource, self sustained forest produce ad a small habitat made them contented and happy. Under Kanikaran’s (Local Leader) guidance, they lived quite freely and happily in the forests.

Land Alienation of Paliyars :

During Pandiya Kingdom in Madurai, the Kings and their teams entered the solemn forests, for hunting purposes. The interface with outsiders made Paliyars very insecured and they moved further into deep forests. Later, when British entered India and found Kodaikanal Hills ideal for their summer, Paliyars moved further into the forest. When Britishers started cultivating coffee, Plums, Pineapple, Berry, Banana and new varieties of fruits and vegetables in the hills, they were in need of workers. They exploited the labour of paliyars, Paliyars started wearing minimum clothes and their food habits too changed.Paliyars were not used to live in big groups or cluster. They ere unorganized and scattered all over Western Ghats region from Pollachi to Thirunelveli.

In the late 17^th Century, the North East and Central Indian Tribes had a tough time with Britishers and on British India’s Forest Policy. To bring Forest under state control, British passed Forest Act. After that Act, the entire forest area came under the control of the forest Department. People from plains, who visited the forests and hills for official reasons plundered forest resource and occupied the lands. Paliyars lost their traditional and customary rights over forest resources and also their close relationship with forest. The scattered nature of Paliyars, their innocence and ignorance about forest laws and rules made Paliyars more vulnerable to exploitation by outsiders.

The Forest and Wildlife Protection Act and major projects like Kuthiraiyaru dam, Palar dam, Manjalaru dam, Maruthanathi dam, Kamarajar dam, Parapplalaru dam, Azhiyaru dam and Amaravathy dam have driven the Paliyars out of the forests. They are alienated from their own land, their near and dear Mother Nature, their cherished forests, their deities, their livelihood resources and they are forced to go out in search of jobs for their survival.

Heritage of Paliyars :

Paliyars have a lot in store to teach the present so called “Modern world” from their traditions. Paliyars, are hunting tribes, never stored anything in surplus; they took utmost care to protect and save forest and wild life and believed that every creation in nature has a right to live. They were never individualistic and self centered. They did not think of surplus, storing of surplus or making profit out of surplus. Their thinking and production process were of primitive communist model and they had enough space of every creation in Mother Nature.

Paliyars are peace loving, and from the study of Gardener, it is clear that their peace loving Nature with shyness to outsiders have increased their vulnerability to be exploited by the

corrupted outsiders.

Paliyar habitats are very rich in medicinal plants. The herbal medicines are still used by the paliyars and they have a rich knowledge about herbs. The sathuragiri hills in Western Ghats are still famous for its herbal richness and Paliyars are now marginalized in the hills by the outsiders who plunder the resources of the hills.

Paliyars have a modest living with minimum needs, very simple and straight forward in their thought process, find no reason to acquire in abundance when there is enough for their need and they respect ecological democracy without knowing the terms and concepts as used by the so called educated, modern people.

Modern world and the non-Adivasi have a lot in store to learn from Adivasis . Paliyars are one such Adivasis, from whom the Non –Adivasis community has to learn and understand Nature, ecological democratic principles and conservation of forest and bio-diversity.

The Present Status of Paliyar Tribes :

Paliyars, who are scattered in western Ghats, live in small hamlets, from Palani Hills, Tiruppur district, they are scattered in kodaikkanal, Sirumalai , Agamalai , Bodi, Varusanadu, Sathuragiri in Virudhunagar Districts and Thirunelveli districts. There will be around 3000 Paliyar families scattered all over western Ghats, who are in search of their lost identity, livelihood resources, healthy food habits, rich traditional heritage, access to herbal medicines and minor forest produce. They are forced to live in plains, reduced to the level of plantation workers or agricultural coolies in their ancestral land.

Why this collective as a new Initiative:

There are lots of Action groups and non governmental organisations working with Adivasis all over the country and non-Adivasis have been working with Adivasis on issues like education, health and income generation activities. This collective aims at interacting with Adivasis to learn and disseminate the rich socio-cultural heritage of Adivasis to others and to orient the Paliyar tribes on existing Forest Act 2006 which give some space and positive hopes to ensure the rights of Adivasis over their land, livelihood, forests and wild life. At all levels of action, the (CAFAT ) Collective wants to ensure active participation of Paliyar representatives-specially Paliyar youth – in planning execution, monitoring, evaluation process of the program - to minimize the role of NGOs as mere facilitating agents of dialogue and understanding of Paliyar tribes in Western Ghats.

The Collective has planned program for 2008-2010 to evolve a democratic process of planning and action at all levels and to learn from the process itself to build a democratic Adivasi movement in Tamilnadu with the leadership of Adivasis.

The six NGOs who are partners in the collective are PEAL, ACT INDIA FOUNDATION, HUMANE TRUST, TEST, ARUDECS and MMS are working with Adivasis on various capacities. This initiative will promote wider and deeper understanding about Adivasis and the need for working together to strengthen the grass root initiatives to build a state level Adivasi movement.

GOAL :

“To Build Adivasi Paliyar Movement in western Ghats Region of Tamil Nadu” is the ultimate goal of the collective.

Objectives:

Ø To mobilize Adivasi Paliyar community into a movement for protection of their rights in the present complex socio-Political condition.

Ø To ensure the rights of Adivasis to collect, use and dispose minor forest produce which has been traditionally collected within or outside village boundaries.

Ø To empower the Adivasis on their rights to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage and community forest resource, which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

Ø To facilitate Adivasis to set committees that are competent enough to safeguard and preserve the traditions and customs of the Adivasis their cultural identity, community resources and the customary mode of dispute resolution in the village gram sabhas.

Ø To promote dialogue between Adivasi and non Adivasi communities to learn human value on global Justice from Adivasi culture and habitation.

Ø To document the cultlural heritage of Paliyars, their traditional dance, Music, Rituals, faith and their knowledge on herbs, practices of herbal medicine and share the documented resources among the younger generation of Paliyars to cherish their eco-friendly tradition and culture.

Primary Focus:

The collective has planned to focus primarily on Campaign on Forest Rights Act 2006 among Paliyars who are scattered all over western Ghats region as displaced Adivasis .

PRIORITIES

The priorities of action are forming grass root sangams to facilitate the paliyar adivasis to register as an organized co-operatives at district level to ensure their right over minor forest produce; to be informed about Forest Rights Act 2006; and to document traditional and customary rights in Gram sabha resolutions by the Adivasis themselves for the better implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006.

……………………………………….

Thursday, December 31, 2009

பளியர் ஆதிவாசி படங்கள்

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Forest Rights Act - 2006 Training Srivilliputhur

Under the aegis of CAFAT, TEST one of the member organizations organized one day seminar on FOREST RIGHTS ACT 2006 to the Forest officials from Guard to Divisional Forest Officer at Forest Extension Centre at Srivilliputtur. The Wild life Warden inaugurated the seminar and gave introductorily address. Forest officials are not very much aware of FRA 2006. They should aware of the contents of the law and should act accordingly with humanistic approach. Because very long time we were betraying and done as much as atrocities made to the tribal people with consciously or unconsciously. This is the time to regret out our mistakes and correct ourselves and to make real work to the tribal people. He thanked the CAFAT team and its member organization TEST to organize such a meaningful timely intervention to sensitize to the officials who are so closely associated with the tribes.

Convener of CAFAT Mr. Y.David gave a presidential address to the gathering including the tribe’s leaders. The need for protecting the forest and the tribes. He explained how the forest and the tribes are inseparable. He narrates with simple examples taken of day to day life and its connectivity of global situation. The net result of the damage done to the tribes is exploiting the wealth of the forest. Without tribes the forest cannot be saved for a long time. Without forest the tribes cannot be lived. The life of the forest and tribes is the relationship between mother and child. This will result in global warming which is the most serious agenda of the developed countries. He insisted how the forest wealth is exploited by the multination companies after the globalization. This is the time to take serious steps to protect this tribes and they in turn protect forests.

The Managing Trustee of TEST explained about the Forest Rights Act 2006. Now the Government is realizing the importance of Tribes. He explained the each and every sections of the Act and its related rules. The importance of traditional and customary rights of the tribes and the gram sabha, Forest Rights Committee, Sub divisional Committee and District level committee. The forest Rights Committee will take the responsibility of fixing the boundaries of their ancestors’ living and worshipping places and the area where the people go and take the minor forest produces and etc., this will help them to ensure their livelihood rights. This will be approved by the gram sabha of the adjoining panchayats. This will enlighten the forest officials about the Act and how they will help them the support the tribes in the near future. The wild life warden, Divisional Forest Officer and other officials interacted the session and clarify their doubts.

Mr. Dhan Raj Co-ordinator of CAFAT explained various initiatives in the tribal areas after the FRA enactment. He shared his experiences in other parts of Tamilnadu. He told the follow up activities of this Act i.e., formation of Gram Sabhas, Forest Rights’ Committee, Sub Divisional level Committee, District level committees etc., are done by the Tribal Development Officials. In Virudhunagar District only these activities are monitored by the Forest Officials. The practical difficulties in formation of gram sabha and approval by the regular panchayat were explained.

The tribal leaders shared their views regarding the officials approach especially Forest and Revenue and their atrocities done by them. The wild life warden and the divisional forest officer appreciated their boldness of sharing. They promised such a bad things will not happen in the future and asked them if anything went on wrong, they have to inform to them.

Virudhunagar district forest officials team including social forestry and wild life units were participated in the training program. The tribal leaders from Thanipparai, Pilavukkal, Athikovil, Valliammal Nagar, Shenbagathoppu, Iyyanar kovil. The one day training program was enlighten to the offcials and the tribal people were proud about the ACT which is favorable to them.

The training program was concluded with vote of thanks by TEST Manager Mr.Xavier.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

பளியர் ஆதிவாசி கலைவிழா தேனி - படங்கள்

Monday, December 7, 2009

Massive fixation over Adivasis Land

Massive fixation over Adivasis Land

(A struggle at Sirumalai Hills)

“Adivasis, we are cultivating the lands leveled from forest by toiling a long days, now for sole cause of abducting and make off with the cultivable lands, a few started attacked upon us. Thus, out of continuous threads and intimidation we are bound to move to plains’’ saying apprehensive tribes Paliyar

Sirumalai is a small hill of Dindigul district where more than 100 families of Paliyar dwelling past two centuries. Now they are encountered attacks and all sorts of assault.

Andy, aged 35 years says, I have possessed a piece of cultivable land at Kodalithitty parai forest. By generation and generation we live in the forest land and cultivating lemon, jack-fruit and banana. Very often some plains visited the lands and urged me to sale the lands to them, of late, this sort of harassment has been bounty increased.

The last month I traveled by a van to Dindigul carrying three sacs of lemons for sales. My small kid Mari Muthu aged 2 years also traveled with me for medical treatment, as he felt ill. After completing all works, on the way to home we were traveling by tempo at 1.00 a. m. (midnight). Suddenly, the van stopped and a gang of 4 along with the van driver started attacking me by iron rod and other fatal arms and they were also spelled out (“palliya payale unakkallam sontha nilam thevaiya, neenkal kattai vettu odungada”) Are you need of own land? Run away from forest! They attacked me about more than half an hour, then my hands were tied with van and taken into caste leader. During the attack one of the four pulled my money from my pocket. I cried for anything as I sensed they might have killed me and my kid. Under the local leader’s advice, I was taken back to dark room at the outskirts of Dindigul town where we had been at detention for 24 hours without food and even water. After a day, the caste leader came and said that some persons are coming to kill me, and advised me to run away from the place. Then I reached my home land by walking 25 kilometers along with my ill kid.

A few days later, a police case was filed by me against violence perpetrators in Dindigul police station and got medical treatment at Government hospital. After few days the police approached me instead taking action against the culprits and said there are complaints against me on the charges of Rape and attempt to murder”

Likewise, another victim Alagarsamy aged 52 years who was affected saying that I live with family in Thalakadi forest village dated back. For my livelihood I cultivate in 7 and half acres land which I solely possessed off. Months back a person from Anjukulipatty informed me that he bought the land and he holds up the possessive right to use, I replied him this is of my inheritance right, I cultivate for long time and turn, at once he got angry and shouted at me with vulgar words. Few days latter my hut was fired, the clothes, vessels and other things become damaged and becoming residue.

Later, a group came down to my land and threatened me to vacate the land, I just replied this is my life, I can not move from it, no longer a minute a person attacked me in various parts with a big weapon like knife, on seeing my relatives the attackers just ran and disappeared . After the incident, all the living Paliyar tribes evacuated from their original huts and began to live along with their children in hidden places.

About the incident and context, Mr. Dhanraj, state co-coordinator of Collective Action for Forest Adivasis in TamilNadu (CAFAT) Tribal Activist says “ Adivasis are the real protectors of forests” and They feel the forests are common property to all. Among them few people have got the ownership of lands. These lands also snatched by other caste Hindus by using their ignorance. These innocent people are attacked by others while they try to get their rights.

There are two sorts of attacks unleashed against tribals in a week; it remains continued against this oppressed community. In fact, there are 90 Paliyar families in Sirumalai. Out of 90 which 20 families are holding the lands which are also being tried to snatch. So far, there is no legal action against the violence perpetrators; in contrast the police threatened and lodged false charges upon the innocents.

He pressurized ‘the government with full strength to exercise the Forest Right Act completely to ensure the rights and privileges of the tribal to enjoy the forest and its surroundings”
The government should recognize the adivasis’ land rights and legacy of lands in Traditional and Customary Rights. By ensuring the rights of adivasis the government can protect the forests since the complete knowledge and power in protecting the forests is in the hands of adivasis.

The government should take affirmative actions on the encroachments in the forests. Forests are the livelihood resources of adivasis. They cannot live without forests. This should be understood by the government and the caste Hindus.

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(This Article published in “KUMUTHAM REPORTER” a leading Tamil political Bi Weekly.)

DELHI GIVES !! TAMILNADU STOPS !!

Adivasis!! The real sons of Forests. Even after several centuries the relationship between the adivasis and the forest is still holistic. But the real sons started their protest”Our rights rights are denied”in resent days. Resulting to their struggles, the Central government has enacted the Forest Rights Act -2006 in the year 2008.

The people who are living in Forest and forest ranges for more than three generations (75 Years ) have the right to get patta land to do Agriculture. The government should implement the basic amenities and privileges to the adivasis.

The government should seek permission form the adivasis while it is planning to construct dams and forming wild life sanctuaries in their areas. These are the some significant features of the law. According to this the central govt has insisted and fixed the target to the state governments to take survey among adivasis including scattered people. But “ there was no action taken to implement the law in any way” say the civil society activists working among the adivasis.

Mr. Dhanraj -coordinator ,Collective Action for Forest Adivasis in TamilNadu (CAFAT) says “ within the total population of India 8.3% are Adivasis. In Tamilnadu approximately seven lakh people are living in 17 districts including Paliyar, Thodar, Malaiyali, Kothar, Kurumbar, Malasar, ( There are 36 castes). Comparing to the other states , the population of adivasis in tamilnadu is very less. Even though, the number is less the state government has the lethargic attitude in taking survey.

The central Government clearly ordered the state to translate the law into regional and vernacular language, to give training to the officials to understand the concept of the law. The other states in the country have started doing works. But in Tamilnadu the government has printed the law even after two years of the law ‘s enforcement. So the officials could not understand the law. If we ask anything about the implementation the officials point out the case which is in court.

Mr. Sambavasivam, a retired forest officer filed a case in high court against to cut the trees and not to provide pattaland to Adivasis. As per new law , the trees may be cut down up to 75 in a hectare by the adivasis for the sake of their housing and economy. Inspite of this, the court has givan permission to cut the trees and to provide patta for adivasis. Reasoning this, the government has not started any work still now. Instead, the governments has started to evacuate the adivasis from their home land to form wild life sanctuary in Thiruppur district.

Adivasis will not do any harm to the forests and the wild animals. Infact they are the real protectors of nature. But while refusing the rights of Adivasis at the same time the government is trying to surrender the forests to the multinational companies voluntarily. Is there any justice? If so how can the adivasis come out from the slavery?

According to the minister of the forest department Mr.Selvaraj , it is time we should provide facilities and privileges to the Adivasis who live in forests for more than 75 years. But it is an intergrated work of Scheduled tribes welfare department and revenue department, now there are works on identifying the Adivasis is being done through the village committees. The government will do all kind of basic facilities and it is true that the Adivasis may claim the compensation of Rs. 10 Lakhs if they evacuate from the place when the government forming new wild life santury in the forests. But , still now there is no fully identified Adivasis community in Tamilnadu and there is no evidence to the Complaint on evacuating the Adivasis.

The goal of governance is to provide welfare schemes to the puplic. But when it is delaying the same is considered as denying.

(Article publlished in Junior Vikatan, A tamil weekly magazhine translated into English)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

vana urimai sattam Junior vikadan

Paliyar Adivasis Cultural Festival Theni

பளியர் ஆதிவாசிகளின் கலைவிழா

நாள் : 10 ஆகஸ்ட் 2009, திங்கள் காலை 10 மணிக்கு துவங்கி மாலை 6 மணி வரை

இடம் : தேனி, உழவர்சந்தை அருகில் உள்ள வசந்த மகாலில்

உலக ஆதிவாசிகள் தினத்தை முன்னிட்டு மண்ணின் மூத்த குடிமக்களின் கலை, கலாச்சார, பண்பாட்டுத் தொன்மங்களை உலகிற்கு சொல்லிடும் முகமாக பளியர் ஆதிவாசிகளின் கலைவிழா இரண்டாவது ஆண்டாக வருகின்ற 10 ஆகஸ்ட் 2009, திங்கள் காலை 10 மணிக்கு துவங்கி மாலை 6 மணி வரை தேனி, உழவர்சந்தை அருகில் உள்ள வசந்த மகாலில் நடைபெற உள்ளது.

ஆதிவாசிகளுக்கான வனநில உரிமை அங்கீகார சட்டத்தை முறையாகவும், வேகமாகவும் நிறைவேற்ற வலியுறுத்தி மேலப்பட்டி பிள்ளையார்கோவில், பெரியகுளம் ரோட்டில் இருந்து துவங்கி உழவர்சந்தை வரை நடைபெற உள்ளது. அதனை தொடர்ந்து சமூக செயல்பாட்டாளர்கள், மற்றும் ஆதிவாசிகள் தலைவர்களின் உரைவீச்சு நடைபெறவுள்ளது.

இறுதியாக எல்லோரும் ஆவலுடன் எதிர்பார்க்கும், ஆதிவாசிகளின் கலை, கலாச்சார பண்பாட்டு தொன்மங்கள், , வாழ்வியல் தத்துவங்களை வெளிப்படுத்திடும் நடனம், ஆடல் பாடல், பாரம்பரிய இசை, நாடகம் போன்ற பாரம்பரிய கலை வடிவங்களின் அரங்கேற்றம் நிகழ உள்ளது. எல்லோரும் குடும்பத்தோட வாங்க. எப்படி சண்டை சச்சரவில்லாமல், அணுசரனையாக, இயற்கையோட இசைந்து, குறைவான நுகர்வு பழக்கத்தோட வாழ்வது போன்ற வாழ்வியல் கோட்பாடுகளை நேரடியாய் கண்டு, கேட்டு செல்ல ஓர் அரிய வாய்ப்பு.
இந்த நிகழ்ச்சியை ஆதிவாசிகள் அல்லாத மற்ற சமுதாய மாக்களுக்காக (அட நாகரீக மனுசங்கன்னு சொல்லிக்கிட்டு பூமியை சூடாக்கிட்டு திரியிற நாம தாங்க) ஏற்பாடு செய்றவங்க வன ஆதிவாசிகளுக்கான கூட்டு செயல்பாடு (Collective Action for Forest Adivasi in Tamilnadu – CAFAT) – தமிழகம் என்னும் ஆதிவாசி பளியர் மத்தியில் வன நில உரிமை அங்கீகார சட்டம் 2006 பற்றி பிரசாரம் மற்றும் உரிமை மீட்டெடுக்கும் பனியில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள சமூக செயல்பாட்டு இயக்கங்கங்களின் கூட்டமைப்புங்க. இது மதுரை - பீல் (PEAL) அலுவலகத்தை தலையிடமாக கொண்டு செயல்படுதுங்க.

Paliyar Adivasis Speaks Out