KALPETTA: People of Irulam are united in protests against the Kerala Gramin Bank as they feel farmer Sukumaran landed in jail even after surrendering his property for the money he borrowed.
Almost two dozen Kudumbasree units, besides farmers’ outfits, gather before the bank every day to ensure it remained closed.
“This bank has been cheating us for years,” said farmer T.R. Ravi. “Many (borrowers lost) the original land documents even after they paid (back) the entire loan amount.” “The bank even remitted an amount of Rs 2,000 to the court to ensure that the farmer is imprisoned. That too after attaching his land,” said Sabu, another farmer.
Sukumaran was imprisoned despite the bank attaching his assets on Friday. He was remanded for two weeks by the Sulthan Bathery sub court and sent to Kannur Central Prison. “We will not allow the bank to function (till Sukumaran gets justice),” Karshaka Sangham leader T.B. Suresh said.
“We have all people cutting across political lines united in this.” He wants the district administration and bank authorities settle the issue and release Mr Sukumaran at the earliest. Action council chairperson Sreedharan Kulirani and other strikers on Tuesday met district collector Keshvendra Kumar who assured them a decisive intervention after local body elections.
The district administration has ordered the bank to remain closed till Monday. CITU state secretary T.P. Ramakrishnan visited the farmer’s house on Tuesday assuring support.
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