villagers from Chimbel significantly escalated their opposition to the proposed Unity Mall project by staging a forceful protest at Azad Maidan. Frustrated by the government’s ongoing push for the development, the demonstrating community issued a strict one-day ultimatum to state authorities, firmly demanding that the controversial construction project be entirely shifted away from their village.
During the gathering, protest leaders explicitly outlined their conditions, seeking a formal, written assurance directly from the General Administration Department (GAD) and the Tourism Department to guarantee the relocation. The villagers issued a stern warning to the administration, stating that if their demands for a written commitment were ignored within the stipulated 24-hour deadline, they would inevitably launch a far more intensified and widespread agitation across the state.
This ultimatum at Azad Maidan served as the climax of a prolonged and intense movement by the Chimbel residents, who had previously engaged in extensive demonstrations—including a grueling 44-day hunger strike—to protect the environmentally sensitive wetland ecosystems surrounding Toyyar lake. The mounting and unyielding public pressure ultimately proved successful, forcing the government to concede to the ultimatum and officially issue the requested written assurances that the Unity Mall and the associated Prashasan Stambh projects would be relocated to an alternative site.
