A group of landless people, including tribespeople, under the aegis of the All India Krantikari Kisan Sabha (AIKKS) and the Adivasi Bharath Mahasabha (ABM), feeder organisations of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Red Star, are gearing up to intensify protests raising a slew of demands including provision of land and houses to all landless people across the State.
Speaking to The Hindu on Monday, M.P. Kunhikanaran, central committee member, CPI(ML), said braving harsh weather, as many as 150 landless people under the aegis of the AIKKS and the ABM had been on an indefinite agitation in front of the collectorate here since April 24.
They began the strike after they were evicted from a piece of vested forestland at Thovarimala under the Meppadi Forest Range in the South Wayanad Forest Division. The agitation is not to get a three-cent plot for the landless, but to ensure land and house for the marginalised sections who had been denied land following land reforms, he added.
However, the Government is yet to address the demands of the agitators, he said. The protesters will take out a march to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on January 22 demanding steps to provide land and houses to the landless, Mr. Kunhikannan said.
Saurav Yadav, general secretary, ABM, will inaugurate the march at 10 a.m. on the day. Leaders of the organisation will submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister following the march, he added.
