Who are the Jenu Kuruba? - An Illustrated Guide (E-book)

The Jenu Kuruba are an indigenous community that has lived in the forests of Nagarhole, Karnataka (India) for centuries. Anti-people colonial conservation policies have forcibly evicted the Jenu Kuruba, and continue to threaten and harass them in violation of their human rights and provisions of the Forest Rights Act (2006). Today, the Jenu Kuruba continue to strive for the recognition of their community and habitation rights over the forests of Nagarhole.

This booklet is the Jenu Kurubas story in their own words, authored by Shivu, Thimma, Thimmappa, Shanti and Somayya of the tribe, illustrated by Neha Alica Kerketta and translated as well as collated by Sanjana Acharya. The book challenges the narrative of colonial conservation, speaks about the harassment meted out to the Jenu Kuruba in its name, but most importantly, bears witness to the special relationship the Jenu Kuruba share with the forest, and their determination to continue to fight for it.