Coimbatore : Over 250 persons, belonging to various tribal communities in Valparai in the district were stopped from taking out a march to the city to meet the Collector to present their unfulfilled long pending demands.

Tensions prevailed after the tribals, including women, from 16 settlements gathered to march to Coimbatore, covering 120 KMs in the early hours of Monday .

However, a large number of police deployed there prevented them from proceeding and all of them squatted in front of a Gandhi statue, later taken detained and taken to a marriage hall, police said.

The representatives of Kadar, Malaisar, Irular Muthuvar, Pulaiyar communites, have decided to reach the city Monday afternoon to petition the collector, demanding rights on forest, patta (deed) for their habitats, land for agriculture and also alternate place in reserved forest areas.

The communities had already discussed the issue with Valparai MLA, Kasthuri Vasu and local district officials on the issue.

Their problem started after Valparai being announced s Tiger Reserve, due to which their rights on forests and to move in and around were curtailed.

They decided to walk 120 kms, after the communities lost their trust on the Government officials and the system,

All those who detained were release in the evening, police said.