Plan to relocate villagers in Thengumarahada evokes mixed response

A meeting held on Sunday to ascertain the views of residents of Thengumarahada village in Kothagiri taluk on relocation, evoked mixed response. The members of Thengumarahada Cooperative Farming Society Limited were against the plan while a section of people were in favour, provided they were given house and land for farming at an alternative place. 

Hearing a batch of writ petitions, a Madras High Court bench comprising Justice V. Bharathidasan and Justice N. Sathish Kumar had, on January 29, formed a committee comprising the District Collectors of Erode, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, District Forest Officers of Erode, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris and the Field Directors of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) to explain the factual and legal position regarding their relocation.

The meeting was led by Nihar Ranjan, convenor of the committee, and Field Director, STR, D. Venkatesh, Field Director, MTR, explained to the villagers that due to famine, 100 acres of forest land were given to the people under the ‘Grow More Food Campaign’ to promote paddy production. Later, the farming society was formed and 500 acres were given to the society on the condition that the land should only be used for farming and the government can take away the land, without paying any compensation to the users, when needed.

When the opinion of the public was sought, M. Bhojarajan, president of the society, said that all its 142 members continue to do farming and wanted improvement of the basic amenities. “All the members had left their land in Keel Kothagiri and had developed the land here in all these years. We want to live here only,” he said.

Mariyammal, a society member, said that she and her land were like mother and child and pleaded not to separate them. Many villagers wanted a bridge to be constructed across Moyar River to improve the basic amenities in the village.

But, B. Palanisamy, another resident, said they have lived without any land ownership and wanted to lead a decent life at a new place for which he wanted a house and land for farming. “We were treated as slaves here and need a new lease of life.” He said that he is voicing the concerns of 80 Dalit families and added that they are ready for relocation. Many villagers, who are into farming in the village, said they had lived in the village for over 50 years and moving to a new location would affect their livelihood.

Rangasamy of Allimoyar, a nearby village in the panchayat, said they depend on Thengumarahada village for bus service and school and relocating them would affect them. Hence he wanted a road and bus facility for their village. The committee told the villagers that they would submit a report in the court on March 14.