Mon Apr 28 11:58:38 UTC 2025: **Tamil Nadu Tribal Residents Protest Government Relocation, Allege Fraud**
UDHAGAMANDALAM, Tamil Nadu – Tribal residents relocated from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) staged a protest on Monday, April 28th, demanding the fulfillment of 17 demands related to their relocation. The protesters, numbering several hundred families, allege they were defrauded by Forest Department staff, lawyers, and land brokers during the relocation process, which began in earnest in 2016, despite a 2007 Madras High Court order mandating completion within a year.
According to K. Mahendran of the Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association, 574 families have been relocated, with 108 remaining within the reserve. The protesters claim the government violated several acts including the Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Rights Act, and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act during the relocation.
Key demands include expediting proceedings against those accused of cheating under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Prevention of Atrocities Act, securing land documents, halting further relocations, providing compensation to the children of relocated residents who have turned 18, and increasing compensation from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh. The protest highlights ongoing challenges in balancing wildlife conservation with the rights and well-being of indigenous communities.
First Piper 