ADIVASIS AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS STRUGGLE FOR LAND GAINING MOMENTUM

Adivasis and Agricultural workers led by Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union and Adivasi Kshema samithi both affiliated to All India agricultural Workers Union entered and established their right in lands that were being held by big corporates and UDF allies. Major chunk of the land is being held by M P Veerendrakumar, editor of Mathrubhoomi daily and his son and MLA M V Sreyams Kumar and his party office bearers. CK Saseendran, Wayand district secretary of the CPI(M), said no force could stop the "homeless Adivasis" from settling down on "Revenue land held illegally" by individuals.

CPI(M) seeks land for the landless

The CPI(M) State secretariat has urged the government to distribute land to the landless and called for support for the land struggle launched by the Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS) in Wayanad.

In a statement here on Tuesday, the CPI(M) Kerala State secretariat termed a blow to the UDF the Wayanad District Collector’s finding that the 16.75 acres occupied by the AKS was an encroachment by M.V. Shreyamskumar, MLA.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy himself had told the Assembly when he was the Chief Minister that the then RDO of Wayanad had found the land in question was Adivasi land grabbed by Mr. Shreyamskumar. The people should see through the changes in the stance of the UDF and Mr. Chandy in keeping with the changing political climate, it said.

Pointing out that the government’s policy was to take over land grabbed by encroachers and distribute them to the landless, the CPI(M) leadership said the Collector’s decision was the first victory scored by the Adivasis on struggle in the district. Among those who had grabbed land in the district were M.P. Veerendrakumar, his son Shreyamskumar and Wayanad district panchayat vice-president George Pothen and companies such as Harrison Malayalam Plantations Ltd. The Kerala High Court also had ruled that the big time land grabbers were not eligible for assignment of government land, the statement pointed out.

It rebutted the Opposition charge that the government had not assigned land to the landless including Adivasis and that it had not taken over land from the encroachers.

The government had distributed 30,000 acres among 1,02,000 families and invested 12,000 acres resumed from encroachers in Munnar in the land bank. The government must expedite distribution of land to the landless, including those in Munnar, and Adivasis across the State. All sections of people must offer support to the land struggle launched by the AKS to make this possible, it said.

Meanwhile the State government has made it clear that it wont allow individuals to encroach the revenue land and that the excess land will be distributed to Adivasis and Agricultural workers.  The government have taken steps in this regard and had earmarked the land held by Sreyamskumar.