To whom it could concern
To whom it could concern
For individuals who reside in cities, the forest is a harmful place – a spot the place wild and harmful animals reside. However for a lot of centuries we Chenchus have been residing in concord with these wild and harmful animals. We see the well-being of the forest as our obligation, we shield the animals and crops of this wild forest with out harming them. This forest is our house. The wildlife of this forest are a part of our household. Now we have by no means had, and by no means may have, the slightest want to go away our house. Who would exit and go away their house? How can we go away our house the place we’ve been residing for therefore a few years? With out us the forest received’t survive, and with out the forest we received’t survive. Staying in a city, even for a few days, is a nightmare for us. If you’re asking us to reside there perpetually then we’re positive to die. No person has the fitting to ship us out of this forest, and in case you are doing that then not directly you’re asking us to die.
The liberty we had throughout the rule of the Maharajahs and the British was misplaced after our nation bought Independence. Whereas outsiders acknowledged our significance, and gave us freedom to reside within the forest, our personal countrymen have failed to do that. We misplaced our freedom to our nation’s freedom.
There are a lot of allegations that, as a result of we’re hunters, the wild animals’ populations are diminishing. That is completely mistaken, and we completely deny this false allegation. Now we have all the time handled the animals as our relations. We love them as we love our kids. If a tiger or a leopard kills our cattle, we don’t really feel disillusioned or offended, as an alternative we really feel as if our brothers have visited our houses and so they have eaten what they wished. We by no means kill wild animals. We solely eat the stays of animals killed by our elder brothers, the nice cats.
If we’re on this forest, we’re secure, we’re positive nothing will occur to us. But when we go away this forest then we might be misplaced. Now we have been residing on this forest with none relationship with the surface world. Amongst us we’ve pure love and powerful relationships. However outdoors it’s not the identical. All the things is expounded to cash. For those who don’t have cash there is no such thing as a meals and no water. No cash, no home and no garments. It’s a shameless world on the market the place nothing is pure. Proper from the air we breathe to the relationships we set up, all the things is impure there. However that’s not the scenario right here on this forest. Our ancestors taught us just one factor: love and respect the forest and it’ll handle you. In the identical means, right here we don’t want cash to eat and to reside. We eat and reside in concord with no matter is out there. Getting used to the pure and recent air of the forest all our lives, it might be troublesome for us to reside in a polluted, foul smelling, noisy atmosphere. We’d get sick and be the primary individuals to die. If we ask the individuals who reside outdoors to return and reside the remainder of their lives within the forest, will they be capable to reside there? In the identical means, we additionally can’t reside on the planet outdoors our forest, leaving our house. We’re proud of our lifestyle.
We don’t drink alcohol and even those that do solely drink once they get some and that’s solely about as soon as a month. Again within the cities liquor is out there in all places and there’s no doubt many people would spend all our cash on liquor and that might put our households in danger. The considered that frightens us – we don’t need to see it. We received’t get the protection we’ve right here anyplace else. Little doubt most of us would die of despair, unable to deal with a brand new life, and the remainder of us would die gradual, horrible deaths.
Since our ancestors’ time, we’ve been born on this forest and we’ve died and can die on this very forest. This forest is our breath and our life. This forest is our proper and nobody can take this proper from us and break our bond. If anybody tries to do that, we will struggle in opposition to it until our final breath. We are going to shed each single drop of our blood to guard our rights and our forest. Each residing being will die in the future, so, we don’t thoughts dying early for this trigger.
Please see us as a species residing within the wild, a “species in human type”, a species with humanity, love and care. Based on the foundations, species residing within the wild ought to keep within the forest and so ought to we.
Whoever reads this letter, we solely request one factor: if doable, please attempt to assist us. However don’t do something which can hurt us or our survival.
Thanks
T. Guruvaiah
Appapuram
Amrabad Tiger Reserve
Nallamala Forest
Telangana State, India
