Kakkayam: Farmers want forest information centre removed

KOZHIKODE: Farmers, under the banner of ‘We-farm’, have announced an indefinite stir against the information centre put up by the forest and wildlife department in Kakkayam. The demand is to remove the centre from the main entrance as it hampers the mobility of people to and from their settlement in the periphery of Kakkayam forest. “We will start an indefinite stir from May 1. The tourists to Kakkayam dam would be directed to the dam without taking the pass from the information centre. We will not permit the centre to issue passes,” warned We-farm chairman Joy Kannamchira.

The farmers’ protest began after the forest department slapped an eviction notice on 25 land encroachers in the area as per the high court ruling. The church strongly supports We-farm and priests are actively taking part in protest meetings and conventions. But Mr Kannamchira denied that the opposition against the forest centre had anything to do with the eviction notice.

“Three of our members who got the eviction notice have obtained a stay from the court. The forest department’s claim that there is encroachment is false. The said land is agriculture land. According to the sketch in 1974, the ‘encroached land’ is agrarian land. But the forest department came up with the sketch of 1971 which has no legal standing,” he claimed. We-farm is planning to approach the forest tribunal with their case.  The protestors and the District Forest Officer (DFO) will decide the issue regarding the centre on April 27. According to the forest officers, We-farm doesn’t want the presence of the forest department in Kakkayam and is thus protesting against the counter. Rs 60 is being levied from a visitor at the forest counter to enter Kakkaym dam site.