While a group of ministers (GoM) is giving final shape to the bill on land rights inside forests, a violent conflict is brewing inside the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve’s Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

The red-and-white flags of the Van Gram Adhikar Manch (VGAM), an organisation of five forest villages for securing land rights inside the sanctuary, dot the landscape. ‘Jai Azadi,’ the war cry of the organisation, is the new popular public greeting.

‘‘Our villages don’t exist on India’s map. We don’t even have ration cards. Why should we respect IPC or CrPC? We are not tribals but we must have land and other rights and revenue village status. We have no fight with the forest staff but if they come in our way, they will pay for it. We know a bill is being passed by Parliament and we won’t let anyone deprive us anymore,’’ warns VGAM activist Md Fayam Ansari of Bichhiya Bazaar.

Forest officials are feeling the heat. In just one month, there have been several clashes, department facilities have been burnt down and both sides lodged police complaints against each other. Boycotted at the local market, forest staff have to travel 30 km for daily vegetables.

‘‘Instigated by outsiders, these villagers abducted and severely injured some of our staff. Hoping for a blanket regularisation, they are trying to encroach on land,’’ says Nishangara range officer CKP Chaudhury. ‘‘They have 50,000 livestock and want our grasslands for grazing. They even killed one leopard while we could rescue another. Since the police and the district administration are sitting on our FIRs, our ground staff feel insecure.’’

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