KANNUR: The Vayalkkilikal spearheading the protest at Keezhattur here have put off their proposed Long March to Thiruvananthapuram. It will now be held on August 11, according to Suresh Keezhattur, leader of Vayalkkilikal.
Though the state-level convention of like-minded sections scheduled for August 11 in Thrissur was cited as the reason for the deferment, it is suspected the Vayalkkilikal brass was apprehensive of the agitation fizzling out.
Addressing the convention organised by the Keezhattur Aikyadardhya Samiti here on Saturday, Suresh Keezhattur said the agitation is to protect the region’s lush greenery. “This fight is for posterity’s sake. We will use everything in our power to protect the water and environment of our land,” he said.Nambradath Janaki, veteran protester and one of the Vayalkkilikal leaders, inaugurated the convention and reiterated theirs is a fight for food and water. “This is not a fight against any political party. What we are trying to protect is the food and water of our land’, she said.
Meanwhile, the decision to defer the date of the proposed long march yet again has not gone down well with some of the Vayalkkilikal supporters who believe it has dented their image. Besides, they say there was no need for such haste in announcing the original date of the march.On March 25, they announced the Long March will be held after Vishu.
Later, it was put off till May on the ground extensive preparations were needed. With the date being deferred again now, the loyalists believe the Vayalkkilikal have suffered a major loss of face. According to them, this will provide an opportunity to their detractors to ridicule their organisational capabilities.
However, the Samiti is upbeat on the success of the Long March which it believes will pave way for the unification of environmental, Dalit and civil rights activists against the fascist forces.
The ‘Talk to the popular agitations, Keralam to Thiruvananthapuram’ convention held here on Saturday, saw the formation of an organising committee for staging the march.Keezhattur Aikyadardhya Samiti chairman D Surendranath presided over. N Subramanian presented the draft document of the agitation.