A camouflaged genocide is what happening in Attappady and it is a symbol of the meaninglessness of our development model, said editor of Gothrabhumi magazine Rajendra Prasad.
Speaking at an interactive session with Adivasis from Attappady organised by Padhabhedam magazine here on Saturday, he said that the population of tribal people in Attappady will come down drastically in two or three generations if this development model continued.
He said that the only solution to the problem in Attappady was to give back the thousands of acres of land grabbed from the Adivasis.
Kali, a member of Thai Kula Sangham, an organisation of tribal women in Attappady, said that the actual number of children who died due to malnutrition in Attappady so far is far bigger than the paltry 42 claimed by the authorities.
The Adivasis had led a rich life, with abundance of crops at one time.
But they were deprived of their lands as a result of which they could not carry on their traditional agricultural practices.
The traditional food items of the Adivasis were nutrient rich and the non-availability of the same has resulted in the present tragedy, she said.
