Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 27 (ANI): Frustrated by years of struggle and the district administration's failure to address their grievances, residents of Ajoor village near Udhagamandalam (Ooty) have announced that they will resort to voting for None of the Above (NOTA) as a form of protest in the upcoming assembly elections, scheduled to be held on April 23, if a permanent solution is not provided.

Various tribal communities, indigenous to the region, have been living in the scenic hill district of Nilgiris for generations. One such village is Ajoor, located near Udhagamandalam (Ooty). For more than 10 years, the villagers have been facing multiple issues and land-related challenges with the Forest Department. However, they say that no permanent solution has been provided so far.

The Forest Department has classified around 300 acres surrounding Ajoor village as protected forest land. However, about 93 acres within this area consist of residential houses and grazing land.

Excluding the space used for housing, nearly 300 families in the village have cultivated tea saplings on small portions of grazing land, with each household using only about 10 cents. Despite repeatedly raising the issue with the district administration at various levels, they say only temporary solutions have been offered. Each time new officials are appointed, the same problems resurface.

'The restrictions imposed by the forest officials are affecting traditional livelihood. For over a century, generations have depended solely on farming and major forest related source to sustain their lives. Collecting leaves, saplings and small woods has been their primary source of income, enabling us to educate their children and support their families,' Ravikumar, a local from Ajoor village, told ANI.

Despite submitting multiple petitions to various government authorities, including the Chief Minister's office, he claims that no concrete action has been taken so far.

The villagers insist that the land, which serves as their livelihood, should be legally allocated to them. As no resolution has been reached so far, the village having around 800 voters, has collectively decided in a village panchayat meeting to vote NOTA in the upcoming legislative assembly elections.

Whether the district administration will finally heed their demands remains to be seen.

The villagers have also alleged that forest officials are preventing them from carrying out essential activities, including collecting leaves required for their work.

Frustrated by the lack of response, the villagers said that they will resort to voting for None of the Above (NOTA) as a form of protest in the upcoming assembly elections if a permanent solution is not provided.

Meanwhile, over 50 families in Nandavanam, Tiruchirappalli, who have been living without electricity, water, or toilets for 16 years, announced a boycott of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.

The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his electoral debut with TVK, attempting to turn the upcoming elections into a three-way contest. (ANI)