Puthiya Tamilagam Party leader Dr. K. Krishnasamy has accused the Tamil Nadu government of pressuring tea estate workers in Manjolai to vacate their homes by cutting off essential services. He claimed that over 350 families still live in the area and commute to the plains for work. Dr. Krishnasamy made these remarks while attending the 26th anniversary of the Manjolai labor massacre, where he paid tribute to the victims by offering flowers in the Thamirabarani River.
தேயிலை தோட்டத் தொழிலாளர்களின் உரிமைகளுக்காக போராடி உயிர்நீத்த 17 போராளிகளின் 26-ஆம் ஆண்டு நினைவு நாளை முன்னிட்டு தாமிரபரணி ஆற்றில் வீரவணக்கம் செலுத்திய போது.#தாமிரபரணி_படுகொலை pic.twitter.com/FKmrmeqqns
— Dr K Krishnasamy (@DrKrishnasamy) July 23, 2025
Addressing the media, he condemned the alleged violence against those protesting for land and human rights in Tirunelveli. He also revealed that a formal request had been made to allocate land near the river to build a memorial for those who lost their lives during the protest. “We are willing to construct the memorial with our own resources, but the government has yet to grant permission,” he said.
Dr. K. Krishnasamy claimed that the state is pushing out Manjolai residents prematurely despite their right to remain until 2028 by denying them essential amenities such as clean drinking water. In response, his party has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, where the case is currently pending.
Dr. K. Krishnasamy said, “They are entitled to rights under the 2006 Forest Rights Act, but the Tamil Nadu government is blindly claiming the act doesn’t apply to them. However, according to the 2006 Forest Rights Act, if a person has lived in a hilly area for over 25-30 years, that’s enough. They could even be a government employee working 100 kilometers away; as long as they’ve lived within the forest area, the law mandates they be granted residence there under the Forest Rights Act. But this government is turning a blind eye. I’ve argued this point at the High Court over ten times, and we even went to the Supreme Court, where the case is still pending. In the interim, we’ve lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission.”
He added, “These people deserve basic rights, even setting aside land allocation for a moment. First and foremost, they are citizens of this state, and it’s the government’s responsibility to provide them with drinking water. This government was elected by these very people; you are not separate from them. While air comes naturally, the government has a responsibility to provide drinking water, electricity, transportation, and telecommunication facilities. Similarly, they should provide education and healthcare. Instead, they have slowly dismantled all these facilities, demolishing schools and closing hospitals. Furthermore, there is no legal provision in any law to evict the workers here before the 2028 agreement with BBTC expires.”
Dr. K. Krishnasamy accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of perpetuating injustice and warned that history will not forget such actions. He said, “They have every right to live there and every right to access all necessary facilities. Despite this, the son of the person who committed such an injustice against them in ’99 is now there (holds a position of power) harbors resentment and is trying to inflict another injustice upon them. History is filled with those who have committed such atrocities, and my plea is that Stalin should not be on that list. This government might use the police to forcibly evict the workers by cutting off their water, electricity, and transportation. However, history will never forgive them. We, as the Puthiya Thamizhagam party, will not accept such forced evictions. Millions of people are ready to do whatever it takes for this cause.”
Calling for the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act of 2006, he demanded that each eligible family in Manjolai be allotted two acres of land. He pointed out that Parliament has acknowledged the allocation of 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land for other uses, arguing that Tamil Nadu should follow suit.
He strongly criticized the Chief Minister, accusing him of betrayal and warning that such actions would not be forgotten. “If the government insists on writing the final chapter for Manjolai, then the people will write the final chapter for this administration in the next assembly elections,” Dr. Krishnasamy declared.
(With inputs from Hindu Tamil)
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