COIMBATORE: Members of tribal communities in the Nilgiris have announced boycotting the upcoming assembly polls, condemning inaction by the forest department for failing to capture a tiger involved in frequent negative interactions with human beings.
Members of the Nilgiris District Federation of Ancient Tribal Communities, comprising members of various indigenous communities, on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Nilgiris District Administration authorities informing their resolve to boycott the polls.
Addressing the media, the members of the federation said that over 50,000 tribal people face life-threatening risks from wildlife. An elderly tribal woman was killed in a tiger attack near Masinagudi, in November last year, while a 57-year-old tribal farmer was killed in a carnivore attack near Shooting Mattam in February this year.
They claimed to have taken the extreme decision after their repeated appeals to ensure their safety had gone unanswered due to the negligence of the forest department. The members also claimed that they have been in consultation with various other tribal associations in the district to organise protests while pressing their demands.