Residents of Megamalai hill villages staging a protest in front of Theni Collectorate on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
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.
He said the Collector had informed them that a special meeting would be convened with all the stakeholders and the officials from various departments to address the issue. The protest was supported by various political parties and traffic along the Collectorate had to be diverted due to the massive gathering.
Earlier, the Forest Department issued notices to the residents of hill villages in Megamalai region. The residents of the villages have been living there for over 50 years. Agriculture was the main source of livelihood for these people.
The area was declared a part of Srivilliputhur- Megamalai Tiger Reserve. Following this, the Forest Department imposed various restrictions on the residents and also initiated measures to evict them from the land.
Published – August 07, 2026 10:12 pm IST
