Thread by @sivaetb

#Thread As the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on a petition challenging the Madras High Court scrapping land acquisition for #ChennaiSalemGreenCorridor , a re-plug of the long story that I wrote after visiting several villages and talking to farmers

deccanherald.com/salem-chennai-…

#ChennaiSalemGreenCorridor in a nutshell. The government's plans and the farmers' objections.

Ramalingapuram is a small village located on the existing highway between Chennai and Salem. Women from this village were the first to take to streets against the project. A school, and a temple were to be demolished for building the highway. #ChennaiSalemGreenCorridor

Karthi had attempted self-immolation in protest against the #ChennaiSalemGreenCorridor project in 2018. When I visited his farms, they were so beautiful with coconut trees all around. Those trees would be cut and his land will be taken if the projects sees the light of the day.

Villagers lamented that their years of hard work and labour will go to the dust due to the project. Coconut farm for Sakthivel and betel nut trees for Vijayalakshmi and Periyanna. #ChennaiSalemGreenCorridor

While Sekar is suspected to have died by suicide, Narayanan, his parents, and brothers live in the middle of their farm in Kuppanur. The cool breeze, and the tasty tender coconut water.