Southern States - Kerala   

Tribal issue: UDF caught in a maze

By T. Ramavarman

THRISSUR APRIL 2. The ruling UDF's confusion in resolving the vexed tribal land issue became evident when the UDF convener, Oommen Chandy, addressed a press conference here today during his ongoing `Kerala Raksha Yathra'.

Barring some oft-repeated allegations against the CPI(M) and the rhetorical statement, "we will give land to all the landless tribals before the end of the present term of the UDF Government'', Mr. Chandy could not come up with any concrete action plan to resolve the problem. He also evaded repeated questions as to whether there was an agreement between the Government and the tribal leaders on the distribution of land to the tribals or if it was only a `decision' of the Government. "These are only technical matters, and only the Government can clarify. But the UDF Government will give land to the tribals before the end of its current term,'' he reiterated.

According to Mr. Chandy, the Government was planning to give a portion of the land from the Aaralam Farm, the Sugandagiri project and the Pookkode Dairy project to the tribals.

However, it was pointed out to him that even if the Government is able to surmount the numerous legal hitches and give the land to the tribals, the total land available from these projects is nowhere near the required land for distribution to the landless tribals who, even according to the UDF estimates, are around 21,000 families. He then conceded that the Government would be able to give land to the tribals only if the forest land is made available.

Asked whether the existing forest laws would permit the distribution of forest land to the tribals, Mr. Chandy said, "We have to again try for that. This (providing of land to the tribals) is a social issue and there must be a solution.'' Mr. Chandy argued that it was the CPI(M) which was blocking the attempts of the UDF Government to give land belonging to the Aralam farm and Sugandagiri project to the tribals. All the CPI(M) MPs from the State has given a memorandum to the Union Minister of Agriculture, Ajit Singh, demanding that the Centre block the attempts of the State Government to give the Aaralam farm land to the tribals, he alleged. The CITU has filed a case in the High Court against the move of the UDF Government to distribute the Sugandagiri project land to the tribals, Mr. Chandy alleged adding that the CPI(M) should end this double-game of taking public postures in favour of the land allocation for the tribals and creating hurdles when any concrete steps are taken in that direction.

Mr. Chandy also alleged that the CPI(M) should own up the responsibility for keeping the tribal land issue unresolved. They had passed a resolution in the previous Assembly assuring that land would be given to the tribals in their own districts within two years. They then remained in power for two years after this resolution and still they could not give any cultivable land to the tribals. They should apologise to the tribals for not implementing the Assembly resolution for giving land to the tribals within two years, he said. Mr. Chandy threw up his hands in helplessness when it was pointed out to him that the UDF had also passed a resolution way back in 1975 to reclaim the land alienated from the tribals and could not implement it.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that barring the Minister of Agriculture, K.R. Gouri, all the UDF members had supported the resolution on tribals' land that moved by the LDF in the previous Assembly, his reply was, "We all thought that the LDF Government was making a sensible proposal to give land to the tribals in their own respective districts within two years.

But Ms. Gouri had did not support that resolution saying that the LDF could not be trusted. Now she has been proved right because the LDF did not give cultivable land to the tribals.''

Asked about complaints that the land given to the tribals by the UDF regime at Marayoor also could not be used for cultivation because they formed part of the forest land, Mr Chandy said, "We have seen the land given to the tribals at Marayoor, and they are constructing houses there. But I don't know if there is any legal hurdle in undertaking activities like tilling or ploughing."

Replying to the question whether the UDF would give land to those tribals who were given uncultivable land during the LDF regime, Mr. Chandy said, "This must be examined and considered by the Government.'' The UDF leaders, Johny Nellore, C.P. John, Rajmohan Unnithan and E.T. Muhammed Basheer, were among those who were present.

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