A tribal woman staged a unique protest against an alleged anti-tribal remark of an MLA by walking 43 km barefoot from her hamlet to the District Collectorate here on Monday.
Shailaja Muppali, mother of two from Kureeri tribal hamlet at Odakkayam in Urangttiri panchayat near Areekode, began her journey on foot at 2 a.m. on Monday and reached here at 1 p.m., daring the scorching sun and heated terrain.
Seeks apology
In an appeal to District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan, she demanded an apology from V. Abdurahman, MLA of Tanur, for his alleged remark that reportedly hurt the Adivasi community in the State.
Mr. Abdurahman, in a media briefing the other day, had cautioned his fellow legislator C. Mammutty from the neighbouring Tirur constituency against trying to educate “the people of Tirur by coming from a tribal land.” Mr. Mammutty is from Karakkamala in Wayanad. Mr. Abdurahman’s remark linking Mr. Mammutty to the tribal land of Wayanad had raised protests from some quarters, and been politicised by his rival groups.
Ms. Muppali, in a memorandum here, demanded that Mr. Abdurahman withdraw his alleged anti-Adivasi remarks and apologise. She said guidelines should be issued to people’s representatives not to repeat such “anti-racial remarks.”
Other demands
She also demanded enhanced presence of excise personnel in the tribal colony to control the drug mafia trying to conquer the youth. The other demands raised by Ms. Muppali included a solution to shortage of drinking water, title deeds for the land they had been living for decades, and introduction of an ambulance to provide medical facilities for the sick in the tribal hamlets.
