SULTAN BATHERY : At Pulimoodu Kunnu estate near Kattikulam in Mananthavadi, 30-year-old Jaya gasps for breath as she brings a potful of water from the stream around 100 m downhill. Jaya, her husband Chandran and two kids live in a thatched hut where she fears to leave the kids alone.
“We fetch drinking water from a neighbouring house. But they don’t allow us to take water after 5 pm. Sometimes we return after NREGS work at 7 pm and there will not be a drop of water to drink. Had the government provided title deed for the land, we could build a house and seek panchayat help for water connection,” said Jaya.
Around 40 tribal families occupied the Pulimoodu estate a couple of years back. Though the land for distribution had been identified, they are yet to get land rights. Around 100 tribal families occupied the Mariyanad estate at Pambra in Sultan Bathery on May 31 as the government failed to provide land rights. AGMS leader M Geethanandan spearheads the agitation.
“We are treated as second-grade citizens...Only around 30,000 families have been provided land. While members of other communities get title deeds, we are given land rights. We can cultivate the land and collect the yield. But to avail compensation for crop loss or an education loan, we have to produce land tax receipt. As there is no title deed we cannot pay land tax,” said C K Janu.
The AGMS will announce the second land struggle on February 19, the commemoration day of Muthanga martyr Jogi. “Our demand is to distribute land with proper title deed to all landless tribal families. The government agreed to announce a Muthanga package in 2014. Around 280 families were identified, but only 180 have got land rights. Even they are not able to occupy the land as it has not been physically marked. At some places the land identified for distribution was not habitable as it was rocky terrain,” said Janu.
Allegations of Maoist link
There have been allegations that the Muthanga struggle turned violent after Maoists hijacked it. “It’s true that outsiders had misguided tribal protesters. The tribal people are innocent. Some outsiders convinced them that they will get the land if they drive the police away,” said a police officer who was part of the team that stormed the protest venue and rescued the hostages. (to be concluded)