Nagarahole – In a significant development highlighting India's ongoing tribal land rights struggles, 52 Jenu Kuruba tribal families returned to their ancestral village in Karnataka's Nagarahole forest on May 5, 2024, asserting their rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The tribal families' peaceful reclamation was met with swift official action. On May 6, more than 100 forest officials arrived at the site, demanding the families vacate what they termed a "reserved forest" area.

The Jenu Kuruba tribe has raised serious allegations regarding their treatment over the years:

Historic Displacement: The community claims they were forcibly removed from their traditional lands

Forced Labour: Allegations of coerced work under previous administrat

Ancestral Rights: Assertion of generational ties to the forest land now under dispute

The tribe's return is grounded in the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources and land they have traditionally occupied.

The standoff between the tribal families and forest officials continues, highlighting the complex intersection of conservation policies, tribal rights, and historical injustices in India's forest regions.

Special Report: Watch the detailed video investigation by Nikita Jain for complete coverage of this developing story.