Pressure tactics alleged in move to relocate Chenchus from Nallamala forests

By A Representative 

The Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF), an independent collective advocating for the rights of the Chenchu Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), has raised serious concerns over what it describes as a “misleading” public narrative around the relocation of Adivasi communities from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. In a press release, the forum alleged that a rally held on April 27 in Achampet projecting that there is no forcible relocation of Adivasis was largely dominated by non-Adivasis and did not reflect the genuine sentiments of the Chenchu community.

According to CSF, preliminary ground reports and visual evidence from the rally indicate that, barring a small number of participants, the gathering comprised mostly non-Chenchus, raising questions about the legitimacy of claims that the community is voluntarily consenting to relocation. The forum alleged that certain authorities and vested interests are attempting to manufacture public consent for relocation by projecting a narrative that Chenchus are willing to move out of forest areas in exchange for development benefits.

The forum further contended that the rally appeared to be predominantly male-led and non-Adivasi-driven, in contrast to testimonies from Chenchu women, men, and youth who had recently voiced opposition to relocation. These concerns were reportedly articulated during submissions at Prajavani grievance forums and at a public consultation held in Hyderabad on April 17, where community members asserted their rights over forest land and rejected displacement.

CSF argued that the visible support for relocation from non-Adivasi groups reflects a pattern of external interference in matters concerning Scheduled Areas, potentially undermining the constitutional protections afforded to PVTGs. It stressed that individuals from outside cannot legitimately represent or decide the future of indigenous communities, particularly when legal safeguards mandate community-led decision-making.

The press release highlighted that a few Chenchu individuals who spoke in favor of relocation at the rally cited lack of access to basic services such as roads, healthcare, and education as key reasons. However, CSF interpreted these statements as evidence of long-standing state neglect, arguing that the absence of essential services within forest areas has been used as leverage to push communities toward relocation. It maintained that development cannot be made conditional upon displacement and that the state is obligated to ensure basic rights irrespective of location.

The forum alleged that such practices violate established legal frameworks, including the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARR), and guidelines issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). It emphasized that these laws require free, prior, and informed consent of Gram Sabhas before any relocation process, and prohibit coercive or manipulative methods of obtaining consent.

CSF also warned of alleged procedural violations, including the absence of valid Gram Sabha resolutions, possible forgery of signatures, and incomplete compliance with statutory processes under FRA and LARR. It pointed out that the Chenchus, as a PVTG, face heightened vulnerability due to limited access to information about their legal entitlements and the long-term consequences of relocation outside Scheduled Areas.

Condemning what it described as “highly motivated attempts” to portray forced or induced consent as voluntary, the forum called on both state and central governments to intervene and ensure strict adherence to constitutional and legal safeguards. It urged authorities to prioritize the safety, dignity, and rights of the Chenchu community amid what it termed “charged and coercive circumstances.”

The statement was endorsed by a wide range of activists, researchers, and civil society representatives, including former Union Secretary E. A. S. Sarma, advocate and Adivasi rights activist Palla Trinadha Rao, and several members associated with grassroots organizations and rights platforms in Telangana.

The Chenchu Solidarity Forum, which emerged from a series of consultations and solidarity efforts over recent months, reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the rights of Chenchu Adivasis who have lived in the Nallamala Forest for generations. It emphasized the principles of co-existence, democratic forest governance, and Adivasi self-rule, while asserting that conservation efforts must not come at the cost of indigenous rights. The forum clarified that it is an independent, unfunded collective with no affiliation to any political party, working to support the constitutional protections and ecological relationship of the Chenchu community with the Nallamalla landscape.