The Hindu : Tribal stir to be intensified

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 19, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Tribal stir to be intensified

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE APRIL 18. The agitation under the banner of the Adivasi Shema Samithy (AKS) for quick implementation of the Government promise to provide land to landless tribal people is being intensified from April 20.

The agitation leaders have warned that the tribal volunteers participating in the show of protest would strongly resist any attempts by Forest Department personnel to burn down the huts they would be putting up in vested forestland.

The CPI(M)-sponsored AKS had launched its agitation in Wayanad on March 9, seizing vested forestland at Panavalli in Mananthawadi taluk. As many as 81 tribals who occupied a Government land in Panavalli were arrested and imprisoned at Kannur jail for 14 days. In spite of the arrests, the agitation has been continuing. It has spread to Perumkulam in Vellamunda panchayat and Appad in Meenangadi panchayat. The agitators' attempts to put up huts in these places were being thwarted by the forest officials.

Yesterday, forest guards and the department's Rapid Action Force burnt down 55 huts. On earlier occasions the huts were only pulled down.

The burning down of the huts has been condemned by AKS leaders, who have said it had strengthened their resolve to step up the agitation.

The AKS stir is now more than 40 days old. On April 9, tribal people mobilised under its banner had staged similar protest actions in Kannur, Palakkad, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Huts were erected in Government land. The 81 AKS volunteers who were imprisoned for trespassing into forestland and putting up huts in Panavalli are out of the jail and are actively participating in the stir.

Signalling their determination to intensify the agitation, the AKS leaders have decided to organise a massive demonstration by tribal people in front of the Collectorate at Kalpetta on April 24. The CPI(M) Politburo member, V S Achuthanandan, will address the demonstrators.

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