F.a: Rights of Paliyan Adivasis for using and re-generating natural resources

General

The Paliyan are Adivasi people living in the South Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and about 6000 families belong for those communities. They are traditional nomadic hunter-gatherers, living on the forest and commercial world is strange for them. S till some of them are living on the forest, but most of them had to change their traditional way of living and move away from the forest. Their culture is changing rapidly and their traditional way of living is threatened. The Government of India doesn’t allow Paliyan people to collect forest products for their own use, but at the same time they allow commercial use of those same products. The Adivasi community people are very vulnerable and do not have any political voice for protect their community peop le. They are very badly oppressed, exploited and discriminated in all forms of social system. They are not realized and aware about this current social system. This project aims to empower the Paliyan community people to ensure and practice their tradition al, customary, democratic rights for dignity and sustainable life by ensuring their rights on forest land. It is also important to empower the Paliyar Adivasi community through mobilizing them into a movement for improving their social, economical and cult ural status to lead a self-esteemed, dignity and sustainability life. The Paliyan Adivasi community people are the beneficiaries. They are involved in all levels of implementation of the project. Humane Trust, MMS and ARUDES accomplish this project and all of them are members of CAFAT. www.humanetrust.org.in