Forest dept asks tribals to remove cattle, CPM slams move

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam condemned the Tamil Nadu forest department for ordering non-tribal residents of Karaiyar to remove their cattle from the hills on Friday.

- THINAKARAN RAJAMANI @Tirunelveli

He sought the intervention of the state government to secure their rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Posting a notice issued by Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) to one R Karuppayi, a cattle owner, on his ‘X’ handle, Shanmugam said the move denied forest dwellers their grazing rights granted under the Act.

“The Act also applies to tiger reserves, making the action of the forest department condemnable. The Tamil Nadu government should intervene, withdraw the notice, and protect the legal rights of the people,” he demanded.