Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Adivasis' rights

Sir, — The adivasis (aboriginal tribes) are the most neglected and abused segment of our society. They lead a life of utter wretchedness.

Their on-going struggle to regain their lost land is just. While the Muthanga incident in Wayanad is a most unfortunate sequel to the historic struggle, it is far-fetched to brand it as an "armed uprising". The adivasis are small in stature. This does not mean that they are lesser mortals who can be hurt and humiliated at will.

Their life is inextricably intertwined with their habitation. If they want to live far from "civilisation" and preserve their indigenous culture, they are quite within their rights to do so. They pose no threat to the conservation of wildlife.

G. David Milton,
Kanyakumari, T.N.

Sir, — The genesis of the adivasis' agitation lies in the liberal attitude of the UDF Government towards the earlier encroachers — settlers from south Kerala. They, with the help of Government officials, grabbed forest lands and cultivated them using the labour of the gullible adivasis. Gradually they began to humiliate and ill-treat the tribals who were unaware of the ways of these settlers from south Kerala.

Now the adivasis have risen to oppose this state of affairs. Your news report `Tribals restless with more forces moving in' (Feb. 25) says: "Private estate owners have encroached upon the reserve forests including parts of the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. But no action has been taken to evict them. But when the `sons of the forest' put up huts in a forest area, the Government used force to evict them, it is pointed out". The story is the same in Wayanad.

B. Devadas,
Paruthipully, Kerala

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