Malappuram: The landless tribes in and around Nilambur, who have been protesting for over 200 days, have decided against approaching the Nava Kerala Sadas with their complaints. The leader of the protest, Bindu Vailassery, said they have lost trust in the government and there is no hope in filing a complaint in the Sadas.
Bindu's hunger strike crossed 200 days on Saturday. A member of the Paniya tribe, Bindu, who comes from the Peruvambadam Colony in Chaliyar panchayat, has been leading the protest of 200 tribal families demanding land guaranteed by a Supreme Court order in 2009.
A revenue team led by Deputy Collector Dr J O Arun had a discussion with the protesting tribes to pacify them before the Nava Kerala Sadas entered the Malappuram district. However, the tribes have rejected the offers made by the revenue department.
“The government is not willing to address the issues of the landless tribes from Nilambur. The officials are informing us that there is no sufficient land to distribute to the tribes. But when we were informed about the land available with the bodies under the government, which is suitable to distribute to the tribes, they kept their mouth shut. The money spent on preparing the venues of the Sadas would be enough to construct some houses for the landless tribes. No tribe from our locality would participate in the Sadas with full consensus,” said Bindu.
The tribes have decided to continue their protest until the government allocates land for them.
