Tribes hit as Kerala forest dept closes footpath to market
(WorldNews India)

Tirupur: Over 750 Pulaya tribes, living near Udumalpet in Western Ghats, have to walk 13km extra to sell their produce or buy goods as the Kerala forest department has closed a footpath to the market in that state. About 330 tribal families live in three settlements - Thalinchi, Thalinchivayal and Manjampatti - under Amaravathi forest range of Tamil Nadu. Besides practising agriculture, they rear silkworm and perform other forest-related activities for livelihood. To sell their produce and buy items, they walk to Chinnaru in Kerala for 7km through...