The Hindu : 'UDF hand' in re-encroachment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 23, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

'UDF hand' in re-encroachment

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR JUNE 22. The tribal leader, C.K. Janu, has alleged that the re-encroachment at Mathikettan Shola after the eviction carried out there a couple of weeks ago, was with the connivance of the top leadership of the UDF and its Government.

Addressing a press conference here today, Ms. Janu alleged that the Government was protecting those who had re-encroached the land, notwithstanding its loud proclamations to evict all encroachers. After the earlier eviction at Mathikettan, the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, who holds the Home portfolio, had deliberately weakened the police strength there. She alleged that the Forest Minister, K. Sudhakaran, had withdrawn the Rapid Action Force so as to ensure that the encroachers led by the Kerala Congress(J) leader, P.J. Joseph, were able to occupy the land. The Joseph group and some of the UDF partners had already entered into an understanding to protect the encroachers at the shola. The re-encroachment of the land by the Joseph group supporters was done with the active connivance of the UDF convener, Oommen Chandy, she alleged. Many areas in the shoal were being used by vested interests for ganja plantation, and the presence of tribals there would have been a hindrance to them. The Tribal Mission of the State Government had identified nearly 2,250 acres of land for rehabilitation of tribals as per an agreement reached between her (Ms. Janu) and the Chief Minister in October last. The strategy was to get the Mathikettan forest area exempted from the land identified for tribal rehabilitation and this was achieved by bringing back the forest encroachers and letting them occupy the land there, she said.

Ms. Janu refuted the contention of Mr. Joseph that most of the encroachers at Mathikettan were small-scale farmers. She said people who have 300 to 400 acres of land have occupied much of the land. The Adivasi-Dalit Action Council had published a list of major landholders there. Even the Government-appointed inquiry committee had found that most of the title deeds were fraudulent, and that many Revenue-Forest officials had a role in the systematic encroachment.

She said the `Tribal Court' to be held in Wayanad On August 24 will draw the next phase of agitation to ensure distribution of land to tribals. If the Government fails to distribute adequate land by October 16, when it would be one year after signing of the pact, the tribals will start an agitation in front of the residence of the Chief Minister.

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