Vayalkilkal gear up for bigger stir from March 25

Kannur: A ‘Kerala to Keezhattoor’ rally will be taken out by the organisations protesting against the construction of the national highway bypass  through Keezhattoor village, Kannur district,  on March 25.   The rally has the backing of  green groups, cultural collectives,  tribal and  backward organizations and  political parties except the CPM, said the committee supporting the agitating farmers.    The protestors will assemble at Taliparamba on Sunday and stage the march  towards Keezhattoor at 2 p.m.     ‘Vayalkilikal,’ the collective of local farmers who are agitating to protect the paddy field, will reconstruct the  stage which was set on fire by the CPM men a few days ago.

“March 25 will witness the start of the third phase of the agitation against the bypass project.  Our message is to protect  the paddy field and waterbed areas and we are protesting for the sake of the  entire state,” said  Mr  Suresh Keezhattoor,  leader of   ‘Vayalkilikal.’        The organisers want to project the  Keezhattoor stir as an agitation  on the model of Plachimada against the lopsided and unsustainable style of development. “It is a political stir. Whenever a new project is planned,   the alignment will be made to suit  malls and  worship places. But  there will be no protection for  paddy fields or wet lands,” said  Mr K.

Santhosh Kumar,  coordinator of ‘Bhoo Adhikara Samrakshana Samiti.’  He alleged that the issue had exposed  the double standard of CPM towards peasants’ struggles in  Kerala and elsewhere.    ‘Pashimaghatta Samrakshana Ekopana Samiti’ state coordinator E.P. Anil  said that  Keezhattur revealed  the wrong development perspective of the Left government and its arrogance to implement it in any way.