Madurai and beyond
Three hours from Madurai is Shenbaha Thopu. Rich in forest wealth, the peripheries of the forests are inhabited by 24 families of the Pallyan community who have traditionally been involved in the collection of non-timber forest produce (ntfp). Now something else has become a part and parcel of their lives: exploitation of their herb-gathering knowledge by a monopolistic agent, Selvam, and the local forest officials. Some 197 species of medicinal plants are smuggled out of the forests.
The tribal people set out to the forests, which has a