A Cute Stare

This cute Candid moment of a Girl with the kid are from Soliga Community. Soliga is an ethnic tribe in south India that dwells in Biligirirangana Hills (BR Hills) situated in south-eastern Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu. The term “Soliga” literally translates to “children of bamboo”, which reflects the tribe’s relationship with nature and their belief that they too, have emerged from it. They are said to possess vast knowledge about the forests of Western Ghats and biodiversity conservation. The government declared the forests inhabited by Soligas as a protected tiger reserve in 2011 which meant that the tribe was re-located and suffered a ban on their traditional practices such as hunting and collection of timber for personal use. Although this declaration threatened the habitat of Soliga, they managed to create history. The tribe collectively fought a long-drawn legal battle and has become the first tribal community in India that lives inside the core area of a tiger reserve. It’s even more impressive to know that their rights are officially recognised by the court of law.