Folk artists protest in Sivaganga over 30-year delay in handing over promised land
Traditional folk musicians in Sivaganga are protesting a 30-year delay in receiving residential land promised by the government. Despite holding official land titles since 1996, the families have never been granted physical possession of their plots.
Why it matters
It highlights systemic administrative failures and the struggle of marginalized communities to secure basic housing rights promised by the state.
Traditional folk musicians playing melam and nagaswaram instruments marched to the Sivaganga District Collectorate on Monday, protesting against a 30-year administrative delay in handing over residential land promised by the State government to them.
The demonstration, organised by the Thirupuvanam Sri Poomariamman Rural Artists Naiyandi Melakkaran Welfare Association, highlighted the plight of traditional artist families in Thirupuvanam who hold official house site land titles issued in 1996 but have never received physical possession of the plots.
In 1996, the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department allotted three acres of land in the Nelmudikkara area near Thirupuvanam to benefit 33 local folk artist families.
Though the government issued free house site pattas, revenue authorities failed to mark out and hand over the corresponding physical land over the subsequent three decades, they complained.
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