Mon Feb 24 15:00:40 UTC 2025: ## Odisha Tribals Protest Tiger Relocation, Claim Loss of Religious Rights
**Bhubaneswar, Odisha –** Members of the Munda tribe, formerly residing in Jamunagarh village within Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), staged a protest in Bhubaneswar on Monday. They allege their ancient religious traditions and access to sacred groves have been denied following their eviction to make way for a tiger relocation program.
The villagers, relocated in 2015 and 2022, claim they were never consulted about the use of their ancestral lands and sacred sites for the tiger enclosure. They state that the relocation, despite protests, has resulted in illness and death among family members due to separation from their sacred grounds. Access to these sites, crucial for their worship and burial practices, has been blocked since January 2025.
The relocation of Zeenat, a three-year-old tiger from Maharashtra, to bolster the STR’s big cat population is at the heart of the conflict. The tribals traveled as far as 40 km to perform rituals and even carried a deceased family member that distance to fulfill their final wish to be buried in their ancestral village.
A memorandum submitted to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife) details the destruction of sacred groves and burial grounds using earthmovers. The villagers assert that the denial of access to their sacred spaces threatens their existence, identity, and religious beliefs, urging authorities to allow them to continue their traditional practices. The protest highlights the complex intersection of conservation efforts and the rights of indigenous communities.
First Piper 