Idukki farmers urge govt. to address land-related issues

With the new government set to assume power in Kerala, farmers’ organisations in Idukki are hoping that Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan will keep his promise to address land-related crisis in the district on priority.

The Idukki Land Freedom Movement (ILFM) has been t for several years.

According to Rasak Chooravelil, chairman of the Idukki Land Freedom Movement (ILFM), a forum at the forefront of land-related protests in the district, key grievances include the construction ban, NOC mandate for construction activities in the Munnar panchayats, and title deed issues in Thopramkudy and other areas of Idukki. He also highlighted lingering Forest and Revenue department conflicts, alongside the need for an immediate resumption of construction on the 14.5-km Neriamangalam-Valara stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway.

“During various high-level discussions before polls, Mr. Satheesan assured us that our grievances would be addressed. This assurance resulted in a landslide victory for the UDF across all five Assembly seats in the district. Now, farmers’ groups expect the swift implementation of those promises,” said Mr. Chooravelil.

“The LDF government issued various orders over the last five years that ruined the normal lives of the people here,” Mr. Chooravelil added.

Stany Pothen, a member of the Kerala Plantation Business Advisory Committee, noted that the major issue facing cardamom farmers is the Cardamom Hills Reserve (CHR) land dispute.

“Currently, the Revenue department claims that the CHR lands in the district are revenue land while the Forest department claims it is reserve forest land. We demand that the government adopt a single, clear stance: that the CHR land belongs to the revenue department,” Mr. Pothen said.

He further noted that cardamom farmers are currently unable to construct buildings for workers or set up drying facilities. “The government must take immediate steps to resume construction activities on cardamom lands,” he said.

“In addition, cardamom-related eco-tourism projects have vast potential for success. Cardamom farmers are calling for the government’s attention to allow tourism activities within the district’s cardamom farms. This move would generate income for both the farmers and the government,” he added.

Land-related issues and the road construction on the Neriamangalam-Valara route were major talking points during the Assembly election in Idukki. According to sources, these land disputes played a crucial role in the LDF’s total debacle, leading to their loss in all five Idukki seats.

In a social media post, Mathew Varghese, State vice-president of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) —the farmers’ wing of the CPI —acknowledged that land-related issues were behind the failure of LDF candidates in Idukki. “The LDF government failed to find a solution to the land-related issues in Idukki,” he wrote.