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Call to return `occupied' land at Muthanga to tribals

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR MARCH 5. The Dalit-Adivasi Rights Protection Council has demanded that the President declare tribal areas in the State as scheduled areas under the provisions of the Constitution.

Addressing a press conference here today, the council secretary, V.V. Rajmohan Thampi, and others said this was necessary in view of the total failure of successive LDF and UDF Governments in protecting the rights of tribals. Tribal areas of some northeastern States had already been declared as scheduled areas.

They pointed out that Article 27 of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People states that ``indigenous peoples have the right to restitution of the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used, and which have been confiscated, occupied, used or damaged without free and informed consent...'' They argued that the words `otherwise occupied' could be applied to Muthanga where the tribals had occupied a portion of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. ``Also, Article 16 of the Convention concerning indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries (adopted during the 76th session of the International Labour organisation in 1989) states that the peoples concerned (tribals) shall not be removed from the lands which they occupy.''

They demanded that the landless tribals be distributed the land they had occupied at Muthanga. To a question on how much and what sort of land they would recommend for the tribals, they said it would be difficult to disburse five acres to each landless family. But they would suggest land with agriculture facilities, including adequate water resources. They said that since the Government led by A.K. Antony had indulged in cruel harassment of the tribals, it should be dismissed by the Centre. They claimed that the agitation was peaceful in the first few days and the locals had no hatred towards the agitating tribals. ``But some persons close to the Forest Minister, K. Sudhakaran, sneaked into the crowd of agitating tribals and created trouble.'' They demanded that Mr. Sudhakaran be ousted from the Cabinet and a CBI inquiry be ordered into the alleged nexus between the Minister and top police officials.

When their attention was drawn to the fact that they were `silent' on the alleged role of the SC\ST Welfare Minister, M.A. Kuttappan, they said Dr. Kuttappan also should resign from the Cabinet. However, they defended Dr. Kuttappan by arguing that the KPCC might have prevented the Minister from visiting Muthanga just as it stopped a team of the Bharatiya Dalit Congress, a feeder organisation of the Congress, from visiting the area.

K.V. Manoj, T.K. Babu and G.K. Vijayan were among those who spoke.

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