Southern States - Kerala   

MPs take up Muthanga issue in Lok Sabha

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH. 11. Several members of Parliament today lent their voice to the clamour in Kerala for a judicial probe into the police action against tribals in the Muthanga area of Wayanad district, and urged the Congress High Command to take note of the prevailing situation; particularly in view of the forthcoming elections in several States.

While a bid was made by the CPI(M) member, N. N. Krishnadas, to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha this morning with the support of the NCP leader, P. A. Sangma, he was not able to do it in the face of opposition from Congress MPs from the State.

However, after a meeting of some non-Congress and non-BJP MPs at Mr. Sangma's residence this evening, a decision was taken to make a renewed and concerted effort to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Briefing mediapersons later, Mr. Sangma said that the MPs who attended the meeting convened by him were also of the view that the Parliamentary Forum for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Ttibes should visit Muthanga and come out with a report.

Today's meeting at Mr. Sangma's residence was a follow-up of an announcement he made in Thiruvananthapuram this past Sunday after visiting Muthanga. It was attended by some Kerala MPs -- V. V. Raghavan and J. Chitharanjan of the CPI, A. Vijyaraghavan of the CPI(M), and M. J. Varkey Mattathil of the Kerala Congress -- Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party, Holkhomang Haokip of the NCP and Bwiswmuthiary (Independent).

Besides a judicial inquiry, the MPs are pressing for adequate compensation for the deceased and the injured, speedy allocation of land as assured by the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, in his agreement with the tribal leader, C. K. Janu, in 2001, and suspension of officials involved in the violence against the tribals pending inquiry.

As for Mr. Antony's explanation that allocation of land to the tribals was being delayed as the State did not have land to release, Mr. Sangma's answer was: "Then he should not have made a commitment to give five acres to all tribals by December 2002.''

For his part, Mr. Paswan wondered why the Congress High Command was turning a Nelson's eye to the issue; particularly since it could have a bearing on the forthcoming Assembly elections.

"This involves the poorest of the poor, and the Congress should take note as elections are round the corner,'' Mr. Paswan said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Missing Adivasis traced
• Five pavement-dwellers run over
• MPs take up Muthanga issue in Lok Sabha
• HC ruling on KER
• Not all Adivasi women released: MLA
• Govt. charge proved hollow: Pinarayi
• Antony unmoved despite mounting pressure
• Rights groups ask Govt. to stop arrests
• Hartal total, peaceful in State

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu