Residents of hill villages in Megamalai stage protest against eviction
Residents of hill villages in the Megamalai region of Tamil Nadu staged a protest against eviction notices issued by the Forest Department. Protesters, supported by the CPI (M), are demanding land titles under the Forest Rights Act, citing their 50-year residency in the area.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing conflict between wildlife conservation efforts in tiger reserves and the land rights of indigenous or long-term forest-dwelling communities.
Thousands of people, mostly residents of hill villages in Megamalai region in Theni district, on Friday staged a protest at the Theni Collectorate. They protested against the eviction notices issued to them.
The protesters, led by CPI (M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam, urged the authorities not to evict the residents of the hill villages and urged the State government to file a revision petition in the Supreme Court and get back the rights to access for the people of the Megamalai region.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Shanmugam urged the State government not to evict the residents of the hill villages. He said as per the Forest Rights Act, land titles must be granted to the forest-dwelling residents and they should not be evicted from the forest lands. A petition was submitted to Theni Collector in this regard.
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