Date: 11 August 2026
Venue: Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Mysuru
Context: 32nd International Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Organised by: Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (TRI)
Convened by: Karnataka State Forest-Dependent Indigenous Communities’ Federation
Opening
- Inaugurated by Smt. Muthamma (Jenu Kuruba woman, Valmiki Award recipient from Kodagu) by lighting the lamp
- Chaired by Smt. Girijamba, Deputy Director, TRI
- Director, Department of Scheduled Tribes Welfare, participated virtually
- Chief guests: Dr. Chandrashekhar RV (NLSIU Bangalore), Dr. Krishnamurthy KV (Research Officer, Tribal Studies Centre)
- Resource persons: Dr. Madegowda, Asha, Ganesh Kalkar, Krishnamurthy Iruliga
- Community representatives from Soliga, Iruliga, Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Hasalaru, Yerava, Siddi, Goudlu, Kudiya communities participated
Community-Wise Key Issues
Soliga
- Need for mapping of community forest habitats, markers, and resource conservation
- Restrictions under Tiger Project, Elephant Corridor, eco-sensitive zones, oxygen trading, fores enterprise are impacting livelihoods
- Forest Rights Act 2026: land and habitation claims need processing
- Skill training, capacity building, forest produce value addition, and market access needed
- Misuse of Soliga caste certificates by non-tribals to access education, employment, and scheme benefits
Iruliga
- Need for ethnographic study report on Iruliga community
- Nutritional food distribution
- Basic infrastructure: housing, drinking water, roads
- Prevention of caste certificate misuse
Jenu Kuruba
- Staff shortages in Valmiki Tribal Ashram Schools leading to learning gaps and dropout
- 3418 Adivasis evicted from Nagarahole forest need land and resettlement (per Dr. Muzaffar Asadi High Court Committee recommendations)
- Misuse of government funds allocated for PVTG communities
- Closure of PVTG Community Development Committees (CDC) and Jenu Kuruba district offices
- Legal barriers to building houses in forest areas
Betta Kuruba
- Demand to use the term “Betta Kuruba” specifically to prevent misuse of “Kadu Kuruba” caste certificates for political power and employment
- Direct recruitment of educated tribal youth into civil services (per state budget announcement)
- Implementation of recommendations from Lokur, Mohammed Pir, Dr. Muzaffar Asadi, and Dilip Singh Buriya committees
- Implementation of 5th Schedule declaration and Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act
- Strengthening LAMPS cooperatives, TRIFED for minor forest produce processing, value addition, and marketing
- Need for anthropological study to declare 9 forest-dependent communities as Adivasi
Siddi, Kudiya, Goudlu
- Permanent teacher recruitment for Valmiki Tribal Ashram Schools, counselling for children, parent awareness programs
- Skill training for youth with truncated education
- Basic infrastructure (bridges, housing, electricity, drinking water) in Goudlu areas
- Kodagu Kudiya community issues are unique due to hilltop settlements
- Documentation of Kudiya freedom struggle leaders’ history needed
- Concerns about non-tribal communities attempting to enter ST list in Kodagu, threatening smaller Kudiya community
Hasalaru
- Confusion between “Hasalaru” and “Hasla” terms despite shared culture and practices, resulting in different caste certificates
- Community forest rights titles issued but forest officials restricting access
- Land rights claims being rejected; forest and revenue departments refusing rights
- Need for political representation from panchayat to Lok Sabha level for indigenous communities
- Forest department employment concessions exclude Siddi and Hasalaru communities
- Ethnographic study in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts to be extended to all taluks
- Social welfare/ITDP officer non-cooperation hindering community work
Yerava
- Need for Big Data system at TRI for information collection and preservation of indigenous communities
- Community-led learning centres at hamlet, gram panchayat, taluk, and district levels
- Coaching classes for competitive exam preparation
- Establishment of EMRS or Navodaya-model residential school in Yerava language in high-population areas
- Study needed on COVID-19 learning loss impact on tribal children’s education
TRI Urgent Study Recommendations
- Study measures used by neighbouring states to prevent fake ST caste certificates
- Complete pnding ethnographic studies within time limits
- Prepare evidence-based reports for declaring forest-dependent communities as Adivasi
- Comparative study of education across ashram, Murarji, Eklavya, government, and private schools
- Impact study of nutritional food schemes on community health
- Study on barriers to Forest Rights Act implementation
- Study on education, health, employment, and economic status of resettled Adivasi families
- Study on feasibility of Schedule Area declaration and PESA implementation
TRI Deputy Director’s Responses
- Cast Certificate Verification Cell to be established at TRI
- Training, smart classes, online learning for ashram school teachers
- Advisory committee for PVTG and forest-dependent community research and social impact review
- TRI Help Desk and digital platform for communication
- District-level TRI programs
- Phone-in programs coordinating with district officials, DSWO, ITDP, forest, and panchayat raj officers
- Participatory action researh based on dialogue inputs
Commitments by TRI Director and STWD Director
- Handbook with guidelines to prevent fake ST and PVTG caste certificate misuse
- Forest Rights Act: expedite IFR (land/habitation) and CFR (forest resource) claims
- Nutritional food distribution: tender process complete, urgent distribution to begin
- 2025-26 Budget Ann. 199: One-time direct recruitment of PVTG and 12 forest-dependent tribal educated youth to civil service vacancies
- 2026-27 Budget Ann. 203: Karnataka Adivasi Development Corporation establishment in process
- Chief Minister’s Gruha Bhagya housing scheme guidelines released
- Permanent teacher recruitment for ashram schools
- Staff and team recruitment for Tribal Studies Centre at TRI
Source
Forwarded email from Muthaiah V, Coordinator, Coordination Committee, Karnataka State Forest-Dependent Indigenous Communities’ Federation, dated 26 September 2026.