‘No Entry’ boards await politicians on the hilly tracts of Kollamula village in Ranni taluk. Public unrest has been simmering here over the K. Kasturirangan committee recommendations on Western Ghats conservation.
Ten wards in the Vechoochira grama panchayat and three wards in the adjoining Perinad panchayat, which come under the Kollamula village, have been classified as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) by the Ghats panel.
Boards in bold letters ‘prohibiting entry to political parties if Gadgil, Kasturirangan panel reports are not withdrawn’ have come up in front of households in this village of settler farmers. Villagers have united under the banner of Janakeeya Samara Samiti to lend voice to their grievance.
Right to live Fr. Mathew Panachickal, vicar of St. Maria Goretti Roman Catholic Church, said Kollamula housed mostly small and medium scale farmers and the panel recommendations had sealed their right to live. “Land value in this area has come down drastically, many marriage proposals have been cancelled, banks are reluctant to sanction farm loans and other loans that require pledging of land records. Life has become miserable for the farmers,” said Dileep Kollamula, a member of the Farmers’ Club in Kollamula.
“Here, farmer try their best to protect the environment. Creating problems for them and forcing them to leave their farmland will not lead to protection of Western Ghats,” said Fr. Panachickal, adding that the village did not house any granite quarry or crusher unit.
He said most of the area where villagers grew rubber, with financial assistance from Rubber Board, and cultivated tapioca, colocasia, and elephant yam had been categorised as ESA. “The voice of Kollamula is firm. We will not permit politicians to enter our village and campaign for election before withdrawing the panel report as such,” he said.
