Veeraswami, C.J.- If the lands of the petitioners are held to be janmam lands and constitute janmam estate as defined in the Gudalur Janmam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1969, the provisions of the Act will apply to the lands, and as janmam lands, they will be an estate within the inclusive definition of the term in Article 31-A (2) and the Act will also receive the protection of Article 31-A (1) of the Constitution. But, if, on the other hand, as alleged by the petitioners what were janmam lands became in course of time ryotwari lands, the said Act (to be referred to hereafter as Janmam Estates Abolition Act) will have no application to them. As the petitions raise a common question, we shall refer to the facts in W.P. No. 117 of 1970, since they are typical of those in the others. The petitioner in that case is O’Valley Estates Ltd., which is a company engaged in plantation industry and is cultivating and manufacturing tea and other plantations products in O’Valley Village of Gudalur Taluk, Nilgiris District. It is having an estate of an extent of 20,000 acres or thereabouts which had in about the 19th century been taken on lease from Nilambur Kovilagam, w

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