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AGM to oppose LDF in polls

Staff Reporter

Says the UDF served the cause of Adivasis by launching a rehabilitation plan

KANNUR: The Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha (AGM) and its political arm, Rashtriya Mahasabha (RM), will adopt an anti-Left Democratic Front (LDF) stance in the coming Assembly election in view of the LDF's "negative" approach to issues concerning the Adivasis, said Rashtriya Mahasabha general secretary M. Geethanandan.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Geethanandan said both the AGM and the RM had decided to ensure that Adivasi and Dalit issues figured as prominent election issues.

A joint AGM-RM meeting in Kochi on March 16 will decide on the question of contesting the elections, he said.

Mr. Geethanandan categorically said the AGM-RM had decided to take an anti-LDF position in the Assembly elections on the basis of its evaluation of the respective approach of the two major coalitions in the State. After the United Democratic Front (UDF) Government had come to power, a plan was launched to rehabilitate all landless Adivasis in the State. With the beginning of the assignment of 7,500 acres of Aralam Farm land to landless Adivasis, the total extent of land earmarked for Adivasi rehabilitation in the State during the UDF Government had increased to 12,500 acres, he said.

A survey had been completed in Aralam farm for rehabilitating the Adivasi families in 50 per cent of the farm land earmarked for Adivasi settlement by March 31, Mr. Geethanandan said. He urged the authorities concerned to continue the process of assignment of farmland even during the election process, as the High Court had directed the Government to complete the rehabilitation plan in six months from February 1.

The AGM-RM viewed the Adivasi rehabilitation plan as a great achievement after the expulsion of tribals from Muthanga. He said the UDF Government had also urged the Central Government to declare the Adivasi-inhabited areas as scheduled areas.

Mr. Geethanandan said, on the other hand, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had been trying to scuttle the Adivasi land assignment programme. He described the attack on the office set up at the entry of the Aralam farm areas assigned to Adivasis, allegedly by CPI(M) workers on Sunday, as the latest example of the CPI(M)'s efforts to torpedo rehabilitation package.

Mr. Geethanandan alleged that CPI(M) leaders had persuaded 130 Adivasi families already living in the Kaithakolli and Odanthode colonies to return their title deeds to the District Collector with a motive of disrupting assignment of farm land to the Adivasis selected for rehabilitation. Of the 840 Adivasi families selected for rehabilitation in the farm in the first phase of rehabilitation, 500 Adivasis had already started settling in the farm, he said adding that they would start agricultural activities by March 31.

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