The life and livelihood of thousands of families in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu, have been pushed into uncertainty as the state government steps up efforts to convert a major portion of local 'Janmam' land into forest. Over 10,000 families, predominantly farmers who have cultivated these lands for generations, face an existential threat as their hopes of securing title deeds (pattas) fade.

The issue dates back to the historic holdings of the Nilambur Kovilakam, Naduvathur Mana, and Nelliyalam Rani, which together comprised 80,088 acres of land in Gudalur. This vast tract was leased out to local farmers. In 1969, the Tamil Nadu government enacted the Gudalur Janmam Abolition Act, aimed at abolishing the landlord system and distributing land titles to the working farmers, similar to Kerala’s land reform laws. However, when the law was enforced in 1972, the outcome was the opposite. Instead of receiving title deeds, farmers faced widespread evictions, triggering massive protests.

The resistance was spearheaded by the Karshaka Samrakshana Sangham, a farmers' organisation led by Father George Parackal, with the eviction drive of 1977 claiming the life of Louis, who became a martyr for the farmers' cause. The legal battle reached a turning point in 1981 when Dr MJ Cherian, a prominent leader of the organisation, filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. The apex court stayed the evictions and ordered the government to accept and process applications for title deeds within nine months. While the government received 9,133 applications, no concrete steps were taken to resolve them.

The shift towards forestation
Under the Janmam Abolition Act, a committee comprising a settlement officer, the revenue department, and the divisional forest officer (DFO) determines whether a specific tract is agricultural or forest land. During the first phase of settlements in the 1980s, out of the total 80,088 acres, 28,086.92 acres were settled. Of this, 12,928 acres were classified as forest, while 15,159.03 acres went to the revenue department. Subsequent classifications in 2011 and 2017 converted another 17,014.45 acres into forest, raising the total forest coverage within Janmam lands to 29,942.45 acres and reducing the pending settlement area to 34,986.28 acres.

The biggest blow to the local population came through a Supreme Court affidavit filed by the Tamil Nadu government in 2026. In the document, the state claimed that another 31,510.15 acres of the remaining land is forest. This leaves a meagre 3,476.14 acres for the distribution of title deeds to the local population. Agrarian unions point out that this effectively converts nearly 60,000 acres of the original 80,088 acres of Janmam land into forest, putting the survival of thousands of families occupying the unsettled 34,986.28 acres at risk.

Life at a complete standstill
The unresolved status of these lands has brought daily life and development to a grinding halt in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks. Residents of Pandalur are worst hit by the Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forest Act, while those in Gudalur face hardships due to the misuse of the Janmam Abolition Act. Farmers living on these unsettled lands are stripped of their basic rights. They cannot transfer ownership of their properties, nor do they receive central or state government agricultural benefits. The administration has blocked new electricity connections, banned the felling of trees on their lands, and even prohibited the use of earthmoving machinery. This has choked all regional infrastructure growth, leaving thousands in an endless struggle for basic amenities and survival.