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[forest department] wanted to shift them [IDPs] to a place in Nalgonda
where there are no forests and it would have been very difficult for
them to survive. We negotiated with them [officials] and finally
convinced them to take them [IDPs] to Bhadrachalam instead of
Nalgonda. 292
A senior police official from Andhra Pradesh confirmed that the police do not register
complaints against the forest department because they are performing their duties
under the law:
IDPs make complaints against the forest department. Strictly speaking
these are not complaints and we do not register them. We can’t
register complaints against the forest department because they are
authorized to evict encroachers. We try to find via media [middle
ground] and tell the forest department that they cannot be very harsh
on the IDPs. 293
After enduring repeated forced relocation for over two years, in mid-2007 local NGOs
assisted displaced persons in petitioning the Andhra Pradesh High Court for its
intervention. 294 The court passed interim orders in September 2007: “the
respondents [forest department officials] are directed not to demolish or set fire the
huts, if any, of the Petitioners.” 295 Local NGOs and the petitioners’ counsel informed
Human Rights Watch that the court-granted relief was merely temporary—they feared
that forest department officials would recommence their punitive actions if the High
Court’s interim orders were vacated. 296
292 Human Rights Watch group interview with local villagers (who chose to remain anonymous), Warangal district, November
29, 2007.
293 Human Rights Watch interview with a senior police official S4 (who requested anonymity), location withheld, December 5,
2007.
294 Madkam Nandaiah and others v. Forest Range Officer, Konnavaram, Khammam district and others, Writ Petition No. 19594
of 2007, Vanjam Kannaiah and others v. Forest Range Officer, V.R.Puram, Khammam district and others, Writ Petition No.
19571 of 2007, Thurram Muthaiah and another v. Forest Range Officer, Chintoor, Khammam and others, Writ Petition No.
19599 of 2007. In these petitions, the evictions have been challenged as being violative of the tribal communities’ rights
under Indian forestry laws.
295 Ibid, interim orders, September 27, 2007.
296 Human Rights Watch interviews with K. Balagopal, Human Rights Forum, Hyderabad, November 27, 2007 (first interview);
Dr. Haneef, Sitara Organization, Chinturu, December 4, 2007 (first interview).
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Human Rights Watch July 2008