Land for tribals: Nilambur's Iron Lady forces authorities to submit, ends 313-day hunger strike

Malappuram: One of the longest hunger strikes in Kerala ended on the 313th day at Nilambur in Malappuram district. Bindu Vailassery's protest demanding land for fellow tribespeople ended on Monday after a meeting with Malappuram District Collector V R Vinod.

“We have decided to hand over 50 cents to the (60) tribal families,” said District Collector V R Vinod. “The land will be distributed to them within a specific period.”

Marking an end to her protest, Vailassery accepted tender coconut water served by activist Grow Vasu. (Read the story of Bindu Vailassery's struggle here)

In May 2023, Vailassery, a native of Chaliyar panchayat had joined members of nearly 150 tribal families for a dharna in front of the ITDP Office in Nilambur. Armed by a Supreme Court order from 2009, the tribespeople were demanding an acre each for landless families in the region.

Vailassery, whose family has land, was moved by the protest and decided to wage a hunger strike for her fellow tribespeople on May 11. She remained resolute and refused to accept solid food, even resisted attempts to be dragged away.

Sunday evening, the police attempted to forcefully shift her to a hospital, but the protesters objected. They demanded a meeting with the Collector, which was granted on Monday.

“We held two discussions on Monday with the district collector. The district administration has agreed to allocate land for 60 tribal families that protested till the last day,” said Giridasan, a tribal leader. “Some families ended the protest midway due to various reasons. They have agreed to accommodate a few families at Kannamkundu and the rest at Nellipoyil within six months. The survey will be done in the presence of our representatives,” he said.