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Chengara: rights panel holds sitting

Staff Reporter

Encroachers, estate officials trade charges

Police harassing Vedi workers who have been waging a non-violent agitation, says SJVSV
SP says the police were trying to comply with a High Court order to clear the encroachment

PATHANMTHITTA: A sitting held by the State Human Rights Commission at the Government Guest House here on Monday to inquire into allegations of human rights violations at the Kumbazha Estate at Chengara, near Konni, turned out to be a platform for the encroachers as well as the private estate management to air their grievances.

Sadhu Jana Vimochana Samyukta Vedi (SJVSV) president Laha Gopalan told Commission member A. Lakshmikutty that the police were harassing Vedi workers who have been waging a non-violent agitation at the Kumbazha Estate, demanding land for the landless families since the past seven months. He alleged that the police were foisting false theft cases against the workers and physically harassing them.

However, District Collector Raju Narayanaswamy and Superintendent of Police K.G. James clarified that so far they had not received any complaint pertaining to human rights’ violation at Chengara.

The SP said the police were trying to comply with a High Court order to clear the encroachment, without resorting to violent measures. However, the efforts had been in vain as the encroachers threatened to commit mass suicide in the event of police action, he added.

The Collector said the administration was making every possible effort to end the crisis and was awaiting a Government decision in this regard.

Ms. Lakshmikutty maintained that the officials were bound to comply with the Court order in letter and spirit and hence there was no point in blaming them.

‘Workers harassed’

Meanwhile, chief manager (Legal) of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. (HML) V. Venugopal and manager A.R. Santhshkumar also alleged human rights violation against plantation workers at the hands of the encroachers at the Kumbazha Estate.

They alleged that HML rubber plantations at Chengara had been witnessing gross violation of the laws of the land. There was no justification at all for encroaching upon a private property in the name of a land struggle, they added.

A group of women workers at the HML estate alleged that encroachment of the private plantation had rendered them jobless since the past seven months.

The HML management accused the vedi leaders of criminal offence by instigating the workers to commit suicide in the event of police action. They alleged that theft was rampant at the estate ever since its encroachement by the vedi workers.

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