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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Silent woodcutters’ will see progress at last, courtesy Madras HC -A Subramani

Silent woodcutters’ will see progress at last, courtesy Madras HC -A Subramani

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published Published on Nov 7, 2015   modified Modified on Nov 7, 2015
-The Times of India

CHENNAI: Tribals of Kalrayan Hills and Jawad Hills in Vellore district are called 'silent woodcutters' — and not for nothing. They are masters of art of tree felling. They can trek, cut trees with barely any noise and bear away the logs on their heads in a matter of hours.

It is for this skill that they are in great demand among red sanders mafia, centred in the Seshachalam forests of Andhra Pradesh.

About 100 tribal villages in the region remained three independent tribal states till about three decades ago. It was only during the Emergency that these tribal counties were made part of the Republic of India. On June 25, 1976, at the peak of Emergency, three tribal chieftains were taken to the district collector and forced to part with their villages.

Because of their late entry to the Indian Union, about 70% of the region is without water, electricity, roads, schools or healthcare facilities.

All these might change as the Madras high court has extracted an undertaking from the Tamil Nadu government that 24 government orders would be issued shortly for the wholesome development of the region.

It all began with a PIL filed by advocate K R Tamizhmani who trekked extensively, met people and traced the history and geography of the Kalrayan-Jawad hill regions. Explaining the problems faced by students and patients requiring emergency medical care, the senior lawyer said unless these basic requirements were taken care there was a danger of tribal youths turning naxals. It was in this context that Tamizhmani said besides arrack, illegal tree felling was the most important avocation for them.

"The art of tree felling is imbibed in the blood of tribal community, as they have been felling wild trees in the forest for centuries," the PIL said. (Months after this petition was filed, forest and police shot dead 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in the Seshachalam forests in Andhra Pradesh).

The first bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul appointed advocate V Suresh as amicus curiae to go into the problem and suggest measures. In his report, Suresh said a lot of good work had been done, but the biggest impediment is the lack of response from district collectors concerned. The bench said in case of information being submitted to them, they should respond within four weeks.

The Times of India, 7 November, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Silent-woodcutters-will-see-progress-at-last-courtesy-Madras-HC/articleshow/49695879.cms


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