A stark reality check exposes the pathetic state of tribal people living in the forests of Karnataka who are deprived of all the basic amenities and are now involved in a battle between life and death for their survival.

The country’s urban areas which are technology-driven and the overall development can do nothing to soothe the feelings of the tribal communities living in forests for centuries. They are deprived of basic roads, water and electricity connections and fight the vagaries of weather for their survival on a daily basis. Non-availability of property rights and government identity cards (Aadhar, Voter Identity card) makes them ineligible to avail basic amenities from the government. Thatched huts, crumbling walls, roofs which are likely to get blown in case of strong winds are their only assets under which they take shield. They survive by selling the little forest produce which they collect without damaging the surroundings they live in.

Their problems get exemplified due to frequent skirmishes with the forest department personnel who want to evacuate them from their places of dwelling. On the other hand, the tribal people are willing to live and die in their known surroundings as they foresee greater danger if they are moved. This conflict deprives them of all basic amenities which the government provides and their struggle for survival continues unabated.

The forest department is not willing to meet their demand of providing basic amenities as it would amount to violating government guidelines. The grim faces of tribal people unaware of the external world awaiting a windfall from the governing bodies to improve their living standards will stir even a ruffian’s heart.

Then the question arising in one’s mind is, “Are these people living in our times?”

Is there a ray of hope for these people or will these people vanish from the face of the earth with the changing times?