The Community Network Against Protected Areas (CNAPA) released a statement demanding an inquiry into a recent clash between Adivasi women and forest officials at Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve.

The incident occurred on June 16 when a group of Adivasi women were returning to Bakua in a pickup truck carrying roofing materials.

When they reached a forest check gate near Khejuri village, the officials denied entry. The women pleaded with them that it would be difficult to carry the heavy materials on their own in the rain, but the officials did not budge and instead assaulted them, tore their clothes and hurled sexist comments at them.

This altercation, according to CNAPA, led to a protest and led to the dismantling of the check gate. “The check gate was constructed without required approval from Gram Sabhas and defied the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA),” the organisation, that advocates for the the rights of indigenous and local communities impacted by the establishment and management of protected areas, released a statement.

The forest department cut all access to the Bakua village and on June 21, conducted a raid forcing the male members of the tribal community to flee, leaving their women in a dangerous situation.

“In the wake of the recent atrocity against women and the midnight crackdown on the village, the people are under unprecedented threat of forceful eviction and dispossession. Shaken by such terror and the attempts to arrest, the male members of Bakua are forced to desert their homes, and the women are living in perpetual fear and insecurity, unable to either access medical treatment for their injuries or legal aid,” the statement read.

From July 1, the tiger reserve is closed to tourists due to the monsoons. Spread over 2,750 square kilometres, the reserve has a variety of plant species and 96 types of orchids. It is also home to 42 species of mammals, 242 varieties of birds and 30 reptile categories.

In a notification, field director Prakash Chand Gogineni stated that the exact date for reopening of the national park would be announced later and published in newspapers.

However, the ecotourism complex at Jamuani, Gurgudia, Kumari, Barehipani and Ramtirtha will remain open for tourists, he said.