Govt., political parties want to exploit Adivasis, says Janu

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 20. If the Adivasis become Naxalites, the onus will be on the Government, the Adivasi-Dalit Action Council leader, Ms. C.K. Janu, has said.

Addressing an interface programme organised by the Department of Politics, Kerala University, here today, Ms. Janu said the Adivasis have no sympathy for the Naxalites at present. If the Government fails to settle the issue amicably and then if the Adivasis turn to Naxalism, the Government will have to bear the responsibility, she said.

The KPCC president, Mr. K. Muraleedharan, who alleged that Naxalites were behind the agitation, has not, so far, called on the Adivasis who have opened `relief camps' right under the nose of the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, to study the issue, she said.

The Government and political parties of all hues want the Adivasis to live in deplorable conditions so that they could be easily exploited. If the agitating Adivasis take the law into their hands, the Government should take action. But the Government will have to charge murder cases against those responsible for the starvation deaths in the Adivasi hamlets, she said.

The agitation is not just to get five acres of land for each *of the 45,000 landless Adivasi families alone. It is to protect the flora and fauna from the mindless exploitation of the forest mafia which is being abetted by the Government. Though the Government claims that there is no land for distributing to Adivasi families, thousands of acres of land still vest with the Plantation Corporation and individuals, she said.

The Government should wrap up all the projects like Sugandhagiri which have not yielded any returns to the Government so far. She accused the Government of flouting rules to encroach on tribal land. Since land is the sole means of sustenance for the Adivasis they would never part with or fragment their holdings. The Adivasis who were evicted for constructing dams and various tourism and wildlife projects have not been rehabilitated, she said.

Though the problem is now confined to the Adivasis, it would soon affect other sections of society, she said. The Researchers Union led by the SFI and the Political Science Association declared solidarity to the agitation.

The Adivasi leaders, Mr. Geethanandan and Mr. Narayanan addressed the function.

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