The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, located in the Nilgiris, is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including tigers, elephants, and over 300 species of birds. It is also home to the Adivasi communities of Kattunayakans and Paniyas. But for the sake of wildlife conservation, particularly to protect the tiger habitats, the State Forest Department has had to take some important decisions that would have an impact on these communities. The Forest Department had proposed a “golden handshake” agreem