Program
M.S. Selvaraj
M.S. Selvaraj
Work area : Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu
Selvaraj has been leading a vibrant people’s collectives in the ethnically diverse Nilgiri Hills since 1991. Selvaraj organised communities to address the issues related to displacement of the forest dwellers and the difficulties they face.
He has played a pivotal role in establishing the School for Social Change in Tamil, where he has been actively involved in cultivating local leadership and grooming the upcoming generation of community leaders. As a filmmaker and artist dedicated to preserving the culture of common people. Selvaraj takes a deep interest in music, documentary films and history.
In 1996, Vivasayigal Thozhilalargal Munnetra Sangam (VTMS) was formed by the local people which envisioned itself as a working-class collective to aware the rights for hill people and their constructive role in conservation and biodiversity. VTMS has worked on a range of social and livelihood-related issues. A central focus of the organisation has been promoting secure access to land, including land for landless families and stability of tenure for smallholders who face uncertainty. VTMS has also raised concerns related to basic facilities and welfare of estate workers and tea cultivators, and has supported cooperative approaches for the management of underperforming estates.
Selvaraj has now been working across the state of Tamil Nadu to spread awareness about the Forest Rights Act and works closely with the communities and their leaders to create momentum around the issues across the broad spectrum of natural resources in the state. As a member of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), he promotes the coming together of progressive groups and individuals to take up the issue of recognised rights of forest-dwelling communities.
