VILLUPURAM: About 150 Irular tribal families residing near Mailam Murugan Temple for over three generations demand a patta for their ancestral burial ground as a private real estate firm allegedly occupied it earlier this year. The families allege that the ground was gifted to their ancestors by the temple authority, Bommapura Adheenam, at least a century ago.
According to sources, the place is registered as Ko Saalai (gaushala) in the local revenue data, indicating that it is a ground for cow shelter. However, the Irular people claim that their ancestors worked in the cow shelters of the temple which is why the ground has been gifted to bury their dead family members. "Our community has been using the ground for over 70 years now," said A Sudha, a resident of JJ Nagar Irular settlement.
The issue came to light when the real estate firm that took over the land allegedly stopped the community from burying their deceased family member here earlier this year. Revenue department officials intervened and resolved the issue and informed the firm that the ground has been used by the tribe for several years, said sources.
The revenue inspector stated that the land is not under the ownership of any Irular family or their ancestors. "However, based on the fact that the tribe has been using the ground for several generations, they can continue to use it," the official told TNIE.
Following the incident, the community members filed a representation to the district collector demanding a patta for their burial ground. "The concerned department officials are conducting an investigation based on which final decision will be made," said official sources.