They have lost their land and are on the verge of losing their identity to the rapid development of their once idyllic home. The sweet silence of this countryside has received a jolt with the noisy invasion of urbanisation, making the villagers of Yelagiri aliens on their own soil.The boom in real estate in Yelagiri has turned several landowners into caretakers of their own land. At least 70 per cent of the agricultural land in 14 villages is in the hands of outsiders, who have turned fertile land into commercial plots, according to villagers.The boom in real estate and the tourism influx may have placed Yelagiri on the tourism map of Tamil Nadu but it has robbed the villagers of their own land. “Residents of 10 villages of 14 still have to walk miles to catch a bus to reach nearby town,” said a local turned realtor, on condition of anonymity.He added that farmers who sold their land to meet family expenses are now working as watchmen. “In the next five years, there will be no agricultural land in Yelagiri,” 40-year-old Perumal lamented.Worse is the fact that several families have been taken on a ride by the false promises of those who purchased their land. “The businessman who bought our land 10 years ago for a meagre amount, promised my father that he would give me a good job, and he promised me that he would take care of my parents. He has not kept his word. There are several families like us who are victims of the false promises of the rich,” said a 30-year-old youth of Kottaiyur.
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