They have a copy of the Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (forest rights) Act 2006, and believe that this Act gives them the right to live inside a forest. The villagers point out that under the Act, they are entitled to 10 acres of land per family as well.
They cannot sell the land, but are allowed to live and earn their livelihood from it. "The Tamil Nadu government is not implementing this Act, we will go to court," they say.
As we prepare to leave, Ganeshamoorthy asks if he can hitch a ride with us. "I need some xeroxes and the nearest xerox center is in Vikramasingapuram, 15 km away," he said.
I didn't have the heart to ask him about bank accounts, ATM cards or mobile phones.
Image: The unused solar lamp in the village.
Also read: Rs 50 crore for tiger conservation: FM
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