The indefinite satyagaraha being staged by the Western Ghats Protection Committee in front of the Collectorate here entered its second day on Wednesday with committee chairman Fr. Antony Kozhuvanal renewing the appeal to the Union government to accept and implement the “farmer-friendly” suggestions in the reports of Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees, identified by the Oommen V. Oommen panel.
Fr. Kozhuvanal, who inaugurated the protest on day two, said that since Kerala was the lone State that had submitted a report after a scientific study and highlighted the “anti-people characteristics in the reports of Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees, there was no justification for the Centre to delay action on the State government’s report.
“The Union government is trying to delay action on the report by saying that it has to wait for reports from the Chief Ministers of two other States before taking a final decision,” Fr. Kozhuvanal, said while addressing the protesters. He said there was not much resistance to the reports from other States since the recommendations did not have any impact on farmers there, he said.
