Tribal leaders in Hunsur have taken strong exception to the state government’s long delay in recognizing the forest rights of Adivasi communities and questioned the failure to rehabilitate the forest dwellers despite the Karnataka High Court order.
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, tribal leaders highlighted the plight of thousands of families displaced from forests who continue to suffer.
The letter dated 19 November 2025 pointed out that during his first term as Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah had promised to acknowledge and implement the demands of the tribal communities as early as 2013. Now he is the Chief Minister again and despite repeated reminders in his second term, Mr. Siddaramaiah has continued to ignore the actual demands of the letter.
The crux of the issue revolves around the rehabilitation of 3,418 Adivasi families who were identified by the Muzaffar Assadi Committee, which was set up under the Supreme Court’s directive.
Leaders pointed out that although ten years have passed since the committee submitted its report and despite appeals to the chief minister during both his tenures — most recently during his visit to HD Kote on November 12, 2024 — the government has neither implemented the court order nor granted forest rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
S. Sreekanth of Development through Education (DEED), an NGO that advocates the cause of Adivasis, said the Chief Minister was also brought to the notice of widespread rejection of forest rights applications in Mysuru district.
Of the 12,500 Aadivasi families, nearly 7,000 applied, but 5,500 were rejected on the grounds that they were “not forest dwellers”, Mr. Sreekanth said, pointing out that the rationale was flawed.
The families were evicted from the forest much earlier, making it impossible for them to provide proof of their stay in the forest, even though their displacement is documented in the High Court order, he added.
Community leaders alleged that some provisions of the Forest Rights Act, which recognizes traditional forest rights, were ignored in the processing of applications.
The letter also questioned the clubbing of Jenu Kurubas and Betty Kurubas under the general Kuruba category during the recent social and educational survey or caste census conducted in the state. It erased the distinction between forest-dwelling tribes and pastoral communities and put Adivasis at a disadvantage, Mr. Sreekanth said. “Doesn’t the Chief Minister know the difference between the pastoralist Kurubas and the tribal Jenu Kurubas who live in the forest?” he asked.
The leaders further expressed disappointment that no Adivasi was appointed as an MLC or represented in welfare bodies, calling it a betrayal of the government’s demand to ensure social justice. The tribal leaders also attached the earlier memorandum submitted in 2015 and 2025 and urged Mr. Siddaramaiah to act decisively and fulfill their demands.
Published – 19 Nov 2025 18:25 IST
