Superintendent of Police P. Shymala Devi has called on tribals in Yelagiri and Jawadhu Hills to surrender illegal country-made guns voluntarily. The Tirupattur taluk police, along with forest and revenue officials, held awareness programs against illegal guns, illicit arrack, and wildlife poaching. This drive also supports police preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections. Ms. Devi said, "Tribals can surrender illegal country-made guns to the nearest police station voluntarily. Their identities will not be disclosed, and no cases will be filed against them." She personally trekked through the hilly areas with police officers to meet tribal leaders and village heads. Their goal was to convince them to give up illegal weapons peacefully. In the dense forests, three main tribal villages—Pudur Nadu, Nellivasal Nadu, and Pungampattu Nadu—form 32 small hamlets on the Tirupattur side of Jawadhu Hills. Many tribal farmers grow saffron, sugarcane, bananas, and vegetables like brinjal, tomatoes, and green chilies. They have used country-made guns mainly to protect their crops from wild animals. Police explained that before independence, country-made guns helped tribals protect themselves from wild animals, thefts, and for small hunting. They also ensured safe travel when transporting produce to markets. Today, with better roads and transport, keeping such illegal weapons is unnecessary. Forest officials added that this awareness drive aims to clear tribals' fear about legal actions when surrendering guns. Sometimes, tribals want to surrender weapons but don't know how. The initiative encourages tribals to give up these guns without fear of prosecution. This push follows several seizures of country-made guns during surprise police checks in 2025. Police noted that many country-made guns have been passed down through generations. Official records show the district has 177 licensed guns, mostly surrendered before elections.