Kalpetta: Hundreds of survivors of the Wayanad landslides launched an indefinite strike in front of the Wayanad Collectorate under the leadership of Janashabdam People's Action Council on Thursday. They are protesting against the state government's lack of support. The protestors, including a significant number of women, are demanding that the government fulfil its promises made during the calamity.

The residents from three wards of Meppadi village panchayats lost everything in the landslide, including family members, friends, neighbors, homes, farmland, and cattle, when the disaster struck in the early hours of July 30.

The protestors raised several demands, including providing 10 cents of land to each family, increasing the compensation from Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 40 lakhs for those opting out of the township project, writing off all loans taken by local residents, adding all deserving victims to the beneficiary list of the township project, and offering jobs to all 16 youngsters orphaned by the disaster.

Carrying placards and shouting slogans against the state government, the protestors also symbolically returned their Aadhar cards and election ID cards to the government.

Janashabdam People's Action Council Chairman Naseer Alakkan told media that the survivors have no choice but to protest in order to draw attention to their plight. "We are not raising any new demands; we are simply insisting that the state government honour its promises," he said. He added that initially, the government promised 10 cents of land, later reduced it to 5 cents, and now it's been scaled back further to 7 cents. Many deserving families, he noted, have been excluded from the beneficiary list. He emphasised that when the state launched a massive relief collection effort, promising 10 cents of land and a 1000 sq ft house, those promises should be upheld. "The state government does not need to spend any additional funds—please use the money collected in our name," he urged.

The protestors made it clear that they would only disperse if Revenue Minister K Rajan, who has been overseeing rehabilitation efforts since the disaster, assures them that the government would consider their demands.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister K Rajan is in the district for a review meeting on the Wayanad rehabilitation project. Leaders of the action council hope that Minister Rajan will meet with representatives from the council and take a compassionate stance on their demands.

The government faces a dilemma, as of the 199 beneficiaries the District Collector D R Meghasree met with until Wednesday, only 22 have signed the willingness certificate to join the scheme. The majority, 242 beneficiaries, have yet to accept the government's conditions.