Date:30/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/30/stories/2006113012920400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Tribal people seek early passage of Bill

Staff Reporter

They want it to happen in this session of Parliament itself

Bangalore: Tribal people from Mysore, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Bangalore Rural districts on Wednesday staged a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue here seeking early passage of Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forests Rights) Bill in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

Besides the tribal people from these districts, NGOs working for their uplift in these areas also participated in the dharna, organised under National Adivasi Andolan. Criticising the delay in the passage of the forest rights Bill, the tribal people raised slogans for its early passage. They said that the JPC had also recommended the implementation of forest rights Bill and that "pseudo" environmentalists and a few sections were against the passage of the Bill that would enable the empowerment of the tribal people.

In a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa the tribal people said that they would derive genuine freedom after the Bill becomes an Act, and that they would get the constitutional protection under it.