Tue Dec 10 16:00:22 UTC 2024: ## Historic Karnataka Cabinet Meeting in Forest Paved Way for Tribal Welfare
**Mysore, Karnataka, December 10, 2024** – Twenty-three years ago, a landmark event took place in Karnataka, profoundly impacting the lives of tribal communities. Then-Chief Minister S.M. Krishna convened a state Cabinet meeting within a forest, a first in independent India. This unprecedented meeting, held on April 4, 2001, at the Viveka Tribal Centre for Learning in H.D. Kote taluk, stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Dr. R. Balasubramaniam of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM).
Dr. Balasubramaniam, a public policy advocate, had successfully challenged the government’s violation of tribal rights, highlighting the displacement and lack of rehabilitation faced by tribal populations due to dam construction and national park declarations. His petition to the National Human Rights Commission and subsequent interactions with CM Krishna led to the historic meeting.
The meeting, attended by 24 tribal leaders, resulted in significant commitments towards tribal welfare. These included the construction of approximately 3,500 houses, the allocation of 500 acres of land, and the training and employment of 100 tribal women as Auxiliary Nurse Midwives within the state’s Health Department.
S. Sreekanth of Development through Education (DEED), an NGO present at the meeting, emphasized the positive impact, stating that the event brought renewed attention to tribal welfare from both the government and media. The meeting, he added, remains a cherished memory for the tribal communities involved. The decision to hold the Cabinet meeting in the forest, according to Dr. Balasubramaniam, showcased CM Krishna’s humane approach and commitment to addressing tribal concerns directly.
First Piper 