Parties protest against eviction in Manjolai-Megamalai
Political leaders Seeman and T.T.V. Dhinakaran have protested against the eviction of residents from the Megamalai-Manjolai region. They argue that the displacement of marginalized communities for forest conservation ignores the historical rights and livelihoods of the local population.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the ongoing tension between environmental conservation efforts and the land rights of indigenous or long-term resident communities.
“Land acquisition remains a persistent historical struggle for the Tamil community,” stated Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman.
Addressing a demonstration organised on Saturday by the South India Forward Bloc against the eviction of residents from Megamalai-Manjolai, he asserted that major infrastructure initiatives—ranging from dam projects and the eight-lane highway to Parandur and various SIPCOT ventures—consistently turn local populations into victims of development.
“People tend to remain indifferent until the crisis hits home,” he remarked.
Highlighting that losing one’s ancestral land is the deepest sorrow, he questioned how employers who brought labourers to Megamalai in 1910 could evade accountability.
If the administration labels these families as encroachers today, he asked, what accounts for the century of life they established there?
Pointing out that the State declared the region forest land, Mr. Seeman questioned why residents were not relocated back then.
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