Ryots seek to relocate proposed footwear factory in Cuddalore
The affected villages — Malayadikuppam, V Pethankuppam, Kodikkanpalayam, Keerapalayam, and Kattarachavadi — have been home to 155 families for five generations.;
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CHENNAI/TIRUCHY: The Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association has strongly condemned the police crackdown on a protest held in Malayadikuppam village against the destruction of cashew saplings for a proposed footwear factory.
Over 200 farmers, women, and villagers, including CPM state secretary P Shanmugam and All India Kisan Sabha Joint Secretary T Ravindran, were forcefully detained by the police team led by the Superintendent of Police.
On Friday, over 500 protesters attempted to replant cashew saplings but were blocked and arrested by police.
The affected villages — Malayadikuppam, V Pethankuppam, Kodikkanpalayam, Keerapalayam, and Kattarachavadi — have been home to 155 families for five generations. They have cultivated cashew, coconut, and banana crops on 164 acres of wasteland for over 50 years.
Despite this, the district administration announced plans to clear the area for a footwear factory. On January 29, 2025, officials and police forcibly evicted farmers and uprooted over 9,000 cashew trees using JCB machines.
On February 24, Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association and CPM leaders inspected the damaged lands and met affected farmers. The association has urged the Chief Minister to intervene and grant land rights to long-time cultivators while relocating the factory to non-agricultural land.
