A recent research article published in Ecosystems and People has highlighted the Soliga community of southern India as an important example of community-based conservation. The study questions the conventional “fortress conservation” approach, which often seeks to protect wildlife by restricting human presence and resource use in protected areas.

• The experience of the Soligas shows that indigenous communities can coexist with wildlife while sustainably managing forest resources.

Who are the Soligas?

• They are an indigenous forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe mainly found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, particularly around the Biligiri Rangaswamy Hills and Male Mahadeshwara Hills.
• The term “Soliga” means “children of bamboo”, reflecting their close cultural association with forests.
• They speak Sholaga, a Dravidian language, and also use Kannada and Tamil.
• Traditionally, their livelihoods depend on shifting cultivation and the collection of non-timber forest produce, particularly honey, medicinal plants, herbs and roots.
• The Soligas live in forest settlements known as podus, traditionally consisting of simple huts made using materials such as bamboo and mud.
• Their traditional knowledge enables them to coexist with wildlife, including tigers, leopards and elephants, while using forest resources for their livelihoods.

• They became the first tribal community living inside a tiger reserve and getting their forest rights under the forest rights 2006 recognised by court in a judgment in 2011.
• Their forest rights were recognised under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• The Forest Rights Act seeks to correct the historical denial of rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities and recognises their individual and community rights over forest resources.

Fortress Conservation vs Community-Based Conservation

Fortress conservation is an approach where protected areas are treated as spaces largely free from human interference, often through restrictions on settlement and resource use.

The Soliga experience supports a more inclusive conservation model based on:

• Community participation in forest protection and management.
• Recognition of indigenous ecological knowledge.
• Secure forest rights along with conservation responsibilities.
• Sustainable use of non-timber forest produce.
• Coexistence between local communities and wildlife.

Exam Hook: Prelims

Consider the following statements about the Soliga tribe:

1. The Soligas are mainly found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
2. The term Soliga means “children of bamboo”.
3. Their forest rights have been recognised within a tiger-reserve landscape.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer: 1, 2 and 3.

One-Line Wrap

The Soliga experience shows that effective conservation can combine wildlife protection, indigenous knowledge, community forest rights and sustainable livelihoods.