Various associations working for the uplift of tribal communities have voiced their strong protest against the proposal to establish tourism projects in the 3,750 acres of the Aralam farm.
M. Geethanandan, convenor, Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha, said that the organisation had decided to stage a protest on Friday in front of the the Kannur collectorate. He warned that any move to divert the land for other purposes would invite strong resistance.
He said that 7,500 acres was acquired for rehabilitation of tribespeople at Aralam. However, 3,500 acres out of this was set aside as farmland to generate revenue for the welfare of the tribespeople. But they had not benefited and the farm was incurring losses.
Now, based on a report submitted by the Kerala Agriculture University, which has been approved by the government, there was a plan to divert the land for farm tourism. Besides, there was a plan to introduce modern technology and other methods to develop farming there. This was to help corporates, he alleged.
“This will be strongly resisted. The tribal community and the associations here demand that these land should be distributed to the tribals,” he said.
Mr. Geethanandan said there had been a great social change in the life of the people who were rehabilitated. However, there were many who had not received land here and were still waiting for its allocation.
“From the beginning, we have been demanding that the land should be given to the tribals, as several applications for the land are still pending,” he said.
Sriraman Koyon, president, Adivasi Dalit Munneta Samithi, said around 3,000 families had received land in the farm but it was unfit for agriculture. Many had abandoned the land and gone back to their old colonies, he said.
He said that after 2007, there were 11,000 new tribal families in Kannur district which had submitted applications for land. Besides, the tribespeople in Wayanad too had rights over the Aralam farm.
However, without considering these facts, the land was being diverted for other purposes to benefit people with vested interests, he said.
