Muthanga falls within the Nilgiri biosphere.This biologically blessed land is one of the "hot spots" as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and part of a highly sensitive eco-system.

The tribal people under the  Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha led by its Chairperson Smt. C.K.Janu entered the Muthanga Wild life sanctuary on 5^th January, 2003.When repeated pleas for a shelter fell on deaf ears and assurances by the chief minister remained mere assurances,they occupied areas like Thakarapady, Ponkuzhy and Ambukuthy and proclaimed them as autonomous area .

  The state government who now realizes that this is an area that has to be maintained, and feels ecological preservation is also a government responsibility

did not react till 17-2-2003.And on 19-2-2003, without initiating any steps for a dialogue with the tribal leaders , the police opened fire on the masses. To gain narrow political gains ,the leaders of the same adivasi gothra maha sabha were encouraged  to go on strike in front of the secretariat for over a month the previous year. And the government conducted talks with them as if they are the sole representatives of tribals. This was done ignoring the MP and MLAs of the respective land ,even when the MP in question was Mr.Muraleedharen KPCC president. The same leaders were deemed as anti socials and were treated like criminals. Electronic Media has shown the world how cruelly the police behaved. Those who were shot were brutally beaten up  with no gender discrimination for a change.Children too couldn’t escape.The firing killed atleast one-Mr. Jogi –the exact number could not be known yet. 

What followed was even more brutal. The fleeing public  were chased and were dumbed into whichever place the police felt like doing so. Mothers without knowing what happened to their kids were being beaten up cruelly.Reports reveal women were sexually abused. Smt. Janu and Mr. Geethananden surrendered before the police. Mr. Surendren a teacher was arrested just because he tried educating the tribal students.All of them were tortured in police custody. The government was using all its machinery to paint the tribals as terrorist to cover up for the human right violations it had committed. And initially they did succeed too . But the opposition could effectively tear this mask off and expose the government. Its this government who projected Smt.Janu as the sole face and voice of the tribal masses in Kerala. CPI(M) had warned the government then itself. But when her own Godfathers left her square and dry and Janu was in the jail wounded physically and mentally and when she had lost her face in letter and in spirit, Comrade VS met her in the jail. This expression of  solidarity was on behalf of all who has some humanity left in them. The Kerala public feels a oneness with VS because of interventions like this. And he did pursue the case as well.

  The opposition took up the case with all its seriousness and urged the government to order a judicial probe to bring out the truth.But the government opted for a cover up bid.The the opposition resorted to non-violent but strong protest methods,which forced the government to order an enquiry

Even here the government opted for a CBI enquiry rather than a judicial one

The irony is,the chief minister is a member of the congress working committee which feels CBI is baised and a tool in the BJP armoury

That judicial enquiry was a better option is being revealed day by day with complaints of adivasi harrasment by CBI officials pouring in each day