The leader of the Adivasi land struggle, C.K. Janu, has said the ruling class fears that if the Adivasis are given lands, they will become politically empowered.
This was because, she said, the politics of land was essentially linked to the power politics. Since the ruling class did not want the Adivasis to enter power politics, they were denied the right to lands, she said after accepting the K.A. Kunjila memorial Stree Sakthi award at a ceremony here on Tuesday.
The award is in memory of the late freedom fighter and khadi activist K.A. Kunjila. K. Sukumaran, former High Court judge, presented the award. Ms. Janu gets the award for her campaigns for the Adivasi right to land in Wayanad district.
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She said the Adivasi land struggle should be viewed in a broader perspective than the struggle for survival of a miniscule community in the State. Kerala and India could not ignore the mushrooming land struggles across the nation, she said.
Recalling how her face swelled after policemen repeatedly slapped in her face during the Muthanga agitation, Ms. Janu said it reflected the cultural deterioration of Kerala. She asserted that her struggles were basically struggles against atrocities against humanity.
As part of the award ceremony, a seminar on the 'politics of land' was organised.
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M. Geethanandan explained the politics associated with land struggles, particularly in the context of the Muthanga Adivasi agitation. JSS State president A.N. Rajan opened the seminar.