Kochi: The controversy over the proposed eviction of seven Dalit families from Malayidom Thuruth in Ernakulam’s Kizhakkambalam has taken a fresh turn after Chief Minister VD Satheesan told the Kerala Legislative Assembly that the affected Scheduled Caste families had agreed to accept a government rehabilitation package. However, the residents alleged that they have never agreed to move out of their lands and urged the government to ensure their rights in the disputed land as assured earlier.
The issue relates to a long-running land dispute involving 2.62 acres, for which the Supreme Court had upheld the Perumbavoor Munsif court’s eviction order in favour of a private individual named Kannoth Shankaran Nair four years ago. Residents and local leaders, however, contend that the disputed land forms nearly 19.98 acres of government Puramboke land and have demanded a proper survey and demarcation of the area. The Kerala High Court recently granted the state government a two-week extension to delay the eviction and comply with court directions. The matter is scheduled to come up again before the court on June 9.
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Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Kunnathunadu MLA VP Sajeendran in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the government would stand by the affected families. “The government assures the assembly that the families will not be abandoned. Minister Roji M John and Kunnathunad MLA VP Sajeendran have met the residents and assured them of this. The government is also ready to construct houses for them, and the families have agreed to this,” Satheesan said in the assembly on Tuesday.
However, the statement has been strongly disputed by the affected families and the Pariyathukavu Samara Samithi, which is leading the agitation against the eviction. Residents said no decision has been taken to relocate and maintain that they intend to remain on the land where their families have lived for generations.
“We won’t move from here to live elsewhere; there is no such decision at all,” said Saji PT, a member of one of the seven affected families. “We have been living here for 130 years. Our ancestors are all buried right there, including my father, his father, and my mother. Thus, we hold that soil. Where are we supposed to go? Moving from there is not even on our minds. Even if it means dying, we will die right there. We are not going to leave,” he told Onmanorama.
The families also allege that the government had earlier assured them that steps would be taken to determine the actual status of the land through an official survey.
According to Saji, Minister Roji M John had conveyed such an assurance during a meeting convened by the district collector, while Scheduled Castes Welfare Minister KA Thulasi had reiterated a similar commitment during her visit to the settlement.
“Minister Roji M John had initially assured us during a meeting convened by the district collector that the land would be surveyed to determine whether it was government Puramboke land. Later, Scheduled Castes Welfare Minister KA Thulasi gave a similar assurance when she visited the affected families,” Saji said. He questioned why the government had now shifted its focus to rehabilitation instead of pursuing a survey of the land.
Samara Samithi questions government’s claims
The Pariyathukavu Samara Samithi has also rejected the government’s assertion that the families agreed to relocation. KM Siraj, convener of the Samara Samithi, said neither the affected families nor the agitation committee had been consulted about any rehabilitation package.
“The announcement that land and houses would be allotted to the affected families came as a complete surprise to both the families and the Samara Samithi, as neither was consulted on the matter,” Siraj said. “Providing a few cents of land to the families was an option that existed even under the previous government. Our consistent demand has been that the disputed 19.98 acres be surveyed and, if it is found to be government Puramboke land, ownership rights should be granted to the families who have lived there for generations,” he said.
Siraj said that no discussions had taken place regarding relocation and accused the government of misleading the assembly. “To accept an offer, shouldn’t we at least know what the offer is? Just stating that they accepted it and misleading the Assembly. We are getting aware of such a plan only now, when we watched Tuesday’s assembly proceedings on Sabha TV,” Siraj said.
According to him, the government’s latest position appears aimed at avoiding a survey of the disputed land, an issue that he noted had earlier been publicly supported by MLA VP Sajeendran.
CPM launches offensive
The CPM has seized on the issue, accusing the UDF government of abandoning the interests of Dalit families and shielding powerful land interests. Former Kunnathunad MLA and CPM leader PV Sreenijin alleged that the affected families had been misled during discussions with government representatives.
“The Minister, Roji, and Sajeendran actually called them for a discussion and tricked them,” Sreenijin claimed. “The government’s land was encroached upon by a private individual. Why is that High Court verdict to measure and demarcate the land not being discussed in the Legislative Assembly? Instead of doing that, aren’t they now moving forward to evict these people? This information given in the Assembly is solely meant to mislead the public,” he added.
CPM Ernakulam district secretary S Sathish also criticised the Chief Minister’s statement, alleging that it amounted to a betrayal of the affected families. “The Chief Minister has lied in the Assembly. This stance protects the land mafia and betrays the Dalit families. The demand of the families is that the land should be measured and demarcated, and its ownership rights must be granted to them. The Dalit families who have been living on that land for decades will not be allowed to be thrown out onto the streets. The CPM will protect and support the families until the residents of Pariyathukavu receive the ownership rights to their land,” Sathish said.
With the temporary relief granted by the High Court set to expire and the matter coming up for hearing on June 9, uncertainty continues to loom over the future of the seven families.
