The hunger strike by the tribals is to get the attention of the Chief Minister to allocate a place at Teppakulam Medu for the people of Kallar settlement.
Coimbatore: Tribals in Kallar near Valparai in Coimbatore district have been protesting for the third day in a row regarding land to be allocated in Teppakulam Medu.
About 23 families who lived in the Kallar tribal village were adversely affected due to landslides and uprooting of trees in the forest area caused by heavy rains in 2018. The Kallar tribals had petitioned at the Tahsildhar's office for an alternative settlement.
The tribals had erected their own temporary huts but the Forest Department said that the setting up of huts there was illegal and disposed of the huts. On the orders of the District Collector and Sub Collector, forest officials housed the 23 families in Thaimudi Estate for the past three years. Also, land in Theppakulam Medu was selected on the orders of the District Collector to house the tribals.
More than 200 tribals are now on a hunger strike in the Theppakulam Medu forest area denouncing the lack of space for the past three years, claiming that the tea plantation workers have also been staying inside and that their culture and freedom were being undermined.
Following this, Pollachi Collector, Thakare Shubham Dnyandeorao and Anaimalai Tiger Reserve Director Ganesan arrived at the site of protest and held talks with the tribals. During the talks, they said the space was measured and sent to the National Tiger Reserve after measuring the existing area for the tribal people living in the areas under their protection and added that they had no authority to change it. They also assured them that they had inspected the place chosen for them and sent it for Government approval. Since this process would take some time, the officials requested the tribals to abandon their protest for the time being.
"We have been living in the Tea Estate area for three years. We are deprived of our traditions, our food habits have changed and so also our culture, and our women's freedom are curtailed too. The Government had assured us of a place in the Theppakulam Medu area which would be selected and allocated.
Since we have not been allocated any land, and talks have failed, we are engaging in this hunger strike to get the attention of the Chief Minister to allocate a place at Teppakulam Medu for the people of Kallar settlement," lamented the tribals.