Threat that left national park tribals in splits

“We may soon be fighting with wild lions and tigers from the national park,” a young adivasi boy told me, tongue-in-cheek, when I met him for a story at Patyachapaani, a tribal village inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park some time ago. The forest authorities, who have called a war against adivasis encroaching on forest land, seem to have unwittingly chosen threats that make no difference to the tribals.

Instead of demolition or legal action, authorities have threatened to set lions, tigers and snakes upon them. The adivasis found the threat hilarious. After a brief conversation with them, I was not surprised. For someone who deals with a leopard or two daily, the threat of a lion or tiger is certainly not going to work.

“We meet snakes and leopards almost every day. Sometimes we come across pythons too. We have even found interesting ways of shooingthem off,” said a sari-clad adivasi woman.

I had a hearty laugh when the adivasis first told me about the threats. But, I quickly realised how the issue was quite  serious for them. Had I not been a reporter speaking about their issues, they would have surely taken offence.

A young man who teaches in a balwadi in the village said there was no reason why they should vacate forest land. “It’s our ancestral land.

The government will only dump us in some part of the city if we agree,” he said.

As the adivasis eagerly told me their stories of leopards and snakes, I wondered why they wanted to continue to stay in the forest in abject poverty.

Every time I meet them, I get a little more insight into their hopes and fears and maybe some day I will discover just why they refuse tomove out of the forest…