Amrithmahal Kavals of Chitradurga

Bhargavi S.Rao

Grasslands known as Kavals in Chitradurga are rich in both floral and faunal biodiversity, they are home to the last remaining Blackbucks , the great Indian bustard and the lesser Floricon. These grasslands for hundreds of years have held rural life together by providing meat, milk, wool, manure, herbal medicines, water and a host of other eco system services through which rural communities have lived with dignity and celebrated this life through customs, beliefs and traditions that have protected these Kavals since time immemorial.

Why are we losing grasslands?India is home to a variety of grasslands unique to different climatic regions. These grasslands support a variety of flora and fauna. Less than 1 per cent of grasslands come under the protected area network, making it one of the most neglected and abused ecosystems in the country.

Agriculture in India was once a beautiful symbiotic relationship with farm animals. Animals provided manure, supported farm labour and agriculture residues provided the animal nutrition in addition to that provided by grazing pastures that were mostly grasslands.

The Land Acquisition Act 1894 helped acquire large tracts of land to increase agriculture. Green revolution pushed the acquisition of all kinds of land including common grazing and grasslandsto increase food production.

Tractors replaced indigenous farm animals and the need to maintain pure breeds of cattle and grazing pastures were lost..

Water shed programmes created in grazing lands further distanced communities from using grazing lands.

The reducing green cover created panic and resulted in unmindful social forestry programmes deteriorating grazing lands wiping out the original grass , herb and shrub species.

Conflicts between wildlife protection and grazing communities further distanced the communities from access to grazing pastures

The introduction of hybrid cattle and fodders under the White Revolution further decreased the rearing of indigenous species and their dependence on grazing pastures

With liberalisation of the Indian economy and investments, grazing commons and grasslands became the target for the big investments making way for industries through a variety of gateways , the SEZ being the more recent.

There have been little effort to provide security or support, or the means to adapt and adopt new livelihoods for pastoral communities who are being driven away from such plans. Unfortunately for non-pastoral nomads, the situation is much worse.

The pink revolution urged India to cross breed its indigenous cattle and livestock varieties with those of the West and Australia. Native varieties have been decreasing in numbers across the country. Our Native Cattle semen is today imported from Brazil and USA for crossbreeding as these native cows had been taken as early as the 17th century to many parts of the world because of their superior features and maintained in their pure form.

The Grasslands of Chitradurga known as Kavals were historically and traditionally set aside for the grazing of a native breed of cattle called the Amrith Mahal Cattle as they were used exclusively for military and draft purposes by the then Maharaja of Mysore. These cattle were known for their drought and disease resistant qualities. Over the years the pure breeds have dwindled in number and these pastures have been used by local village and nomadic pastoral communities.

Nearly 60 villages in Chitradurga depend on the grasslands for their life and livelihoods. Animal rearing, weaving of blankets, basket weaving, agriculture are the main livelihoods. Local communities gather firewood, herbs, medicinal plants for livestock, manure and a variety of other materials from these grasslands. The local people celebrate the grasslands through a variety of festivities and fairs. Their temples and places of worship are in the midst of these Kavals. Local women sing their folk music in praise of the grasslands. The kavals are centres of a rich Bio-Cultural Heritage

Beerappa Temple in the midst of the Kavals

The livestock rearing communities ‘place of worhip

In 1971, as the native breed of Amrithmahal cattle had reduced in numbers, the Government of Karnataka set up a sheep farm in these Kavals to help local communities with veterinary, breeding, water and fodder facilities . The region is also known for the native Deccani sheep breeds.

The Government had also set up a Goshala to help the cattle rearers in these villages. The region still has pure breeds of Amrithmahal cattle as Devara dhana (God’s cattle) reared by certain traditional communities.

Weaving communities shear the wool, process it with a paste of tamarind seeds that strengthens the wool and the wool is woven by hand into the well known Chellekere blankets that are supplied to the Indian Army and cost anywhere between RS.800-2000 in the market.

The Lambani communities collect the leaf fronds of the Palm tree to make Baskets used in Agriculture for a living and wild grasses to make brooms used in homes and for farming purpose.

DRDO’s Drones, BARC’s Uranium Enrichment centre, IISc’s synchroton, Defence Industries on a PPP model, Housing colonies will soon change the landscape, disrupt the water shed, destroy the wildlife habitat and wipe out the ecologically sensitive, traditionally knowledgeable, self governed, self sustained rural economic life of these regions in an effort to develop these regions.

These Kavals are severely threatened from being assigned to a variety of developmental projects in violation of all existing laws thereby wiping out the very life of these communities and will alter the landscapes irreversibly. They have been handed over to various Institutions in complete violation of the Forest Conservation Act, Forest Rights Act, Environment protection Act and the Biological Diversity Act and in violation of the High court Order that protects the Kavals. The institutions have started to build compound walls in the region thereby preventing the local communities access to the grazing pastures.

Organisation Village Name Sy. No. Extent of land in acres

Defence Research Development Organisation Varavu Kaval and Khudapura 343, 47 4000 and 290 respectively (total 4290)

Indian Institute of Science Khudapura 47 1500

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 1410 and 400 respectively (toatel 1810)

Indian Space Research Organisation Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 473 and 100 respectively (total 573)

Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation

Ullarti Kaval and Khudapura 1, 47 250 and 50 respectively (total 300)

Sagitaur Ventures India Pvt. Ltd. Khudapura N.A. 1250

Indian Army N.A. N.A. 10,000 (as per press reports)

Total 9273 confirmed + 10000 to be confirmed

Map of allotted area

A Drone testing centre

A SYNCHROTRON

A Uranium Enrichment Centre

The result of not knowing how to deal with nuclear Waste-Future Generations

With loss of access to the Kavals, and cost of fodder too high to meet, the local village and nomadic communities are being forced to sell their sheep. Women have stree shakti loans to repay and also make ends meet. Men have already started migrating in search of labour to other towns and cities.

Future of livestock economy

India is one of the largest producers of milk, meat and eggs in the world But Indian meat and wool being low quality have not been able compete with the global market. Livestock sector needs support as Indian livestock is not economically, environmentally or socially desirable.

The affected villages have submitted several representations to the DC, held several protests , met with several politicians, leaders and ministers to save their Kavals. Their voices go unheard. Local farming members have even approached the High Court in the hope of saving their Kavals and their livelihoods.

Protests in Chitradurga• Members the Karnataka

Rajya Raitha Sangha staging a dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Chitradurga demanding that the land granted to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Kudapura in Challakere taluk be withdrawn and instead demanded a solar power plant to be set up to ease the power needs of farmers.

There are alternative ways to ensure these villages in the backward district get water, housing, electricity, schools, hospitals and support for their traditional livelihoods and rural economy. Careful planning with genuine public participation and creating innovative local technologies that are not power and water intensive can go a long way in sustaining the existing traditional pastoral livelihoods in a region that lacks major sources of water.

Who Owns Natural resources? Who uses? Who decides? Who benefits?

The people are the owners and the State is the custodian

However, in practice, the State has arrogated to itself the power of ownership.

Movements, struggles and litigations to reclaim control of natural resources and commons have been the response of communities across the country to save our natural resources for posterity.

“The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing

(a)that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood; (b)that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good; (c)that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment”

Article 39 of the Constitution of India.

• Right to Life includes Right to Clean Environment and Livelihood

• Polluter Pays Principle• Principle of Absolute Liability• Principle of Intergenerational Equity• Doctrine of Public Trust• Precautionary Principle• Principle of Prior and Informed Consent

Legal Provisions that Protect Grasslands, Biodiversity and Community Rights• Forest Conservation Act 1980• The Indian Forest Act 1927• The Karnataka forest Act 1963• State/Union Territory Minor Forest Produce (Ownership of Forest

Dependent Community) Act, 2005• Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Amended 1990)• Forest Rights Act 2006• Biological Diversity Act 2002• Environment protection Act 1986• The Untouchability Practices Act, 1955• The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of

Atrocities) Act, 1989,

Time to join hands with our pastoral communities to protect their experience based knowledge, self-governed livelihood, the rural economy and save this beautiful bio cultural heritage.

SAVE THE KAVALS FOR POSTERITY

DECLARE THEM AS

BIOCULTURAL HERITAGE SITES OR

BIODIVERSITY SITES