KOCHI: A tense situation prevailed at Thowari Mala in Wayand after a group of tribals claimed rights to a piece of land under the custody of the Forest Department. The police said a couple of families have put up makeshift shelters on Sunday on the land and are continuing with their protests on Monday demanding the government to distribute the land to landless tribals. Kannur Range Inspector General M R Ajith Kumar said the situation was under control and necessary police have been posted in the region to prevent untoward incidents.
The agitation has been organised by Land Struggle Committee of All India Kranthikari Kisan Sabha (AIKKS) and Adivasi Bharat Mahasabha (ABM) led by CPI (ML) Red Star. “We have claimed right over 100 hectares, which had been acquired in 1970 by the then C Achutha Menon Ministry from private landholders. For all these years, the successive governments have been sitting on our demand for distributing the said land to tribals. We will continue with our agitation till the government takes a decision to hand over the land to tribals,” said M P Kunjikkanaran, Secretary of AIKKS Kerala State Committee.