Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam on Monday accused the BJP-led Union government of pursuing policies that were detrimental to the interests of ordinary people, particularly the poor and marginalised.Speaking to reporters after taking part in a protest in the Nilgiris district, Shanmugam said the Centre was weakening key welfare legislations, including the Forest Rights Act (FRA), in a manner similar to the changes made to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He warned that any dilution of the Forest Rights Act would have serious consequences for tribal communities and forest dwellers who depend on forest land for their livelihood.
The CPM leader demanded that the forest department immediately issue land titles to eligible forest dwellers as mandated under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. He said thousands of families in the Gudalur region were still waiting for legal recognition of their land rights.
Shanmugam also criticised the Tamil Nadu government for failing to implement a Supreme Court order on providing electricity connections. He alleged that many households in Gudalur were still living without power supply, which had adversely affected the education of students. He asserted that there was no justification for denying electricity to families residing on poramboke lands or those without formal land titles.
Raising concerns over human-wildlife conflict, Shanmugam said compensation had not been paid to several families of people who were killed or injured in wild animal attacks. He called for the immediate organisation of special camps to process and settle pending compensation claims.
Earlier in the day, Shanmugam led a protest march to the District Collector’s office, demanding the issuance of land titles to 10,052 families and electricity connections to all households in the region. The protesters urged the authorities to provide power supply even to those without land ownership documents, provided they possess identity proofs such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs or ration cards. They also demanded that government land encroached upon by a few large landholders be reclaimed and that scientific measures be adopted to address recurring wildlife conflicts in the area.