In a move that may deprive many tribespeople of their land, Kannur Collector S. Chandrasekaran has issued a notification to cancel the title deeds of those who have not occupied land in the Aralam farm.
The Collector issued the notification on September 23 seeking objections, if any, with regard to cancellation of title deeds allocated to 262 tribespeople in blocks 7, 9, 10, and 13 of the Aralam farm. The unoccupied land have been identified by the Irity Tahsildar.
When contacted, the Collector said a notification was issued to cancel the title deeds as these land had not been occupied for several years now. The allottees were untraceable.
The unoccupied land had now become a mini-forest and a haven for elephants. Besides, there were many tribespeople waiting to get land here. Such land could be handed over to those in need, he added.
However, organisations working for the welfare of tribespeople have come against the move. They term it illegal and an attempt to favour those in the ruling party and those who have encroached on the farm.
Sreeraman Koyyon, president of Adivasi Dalit Munnetta Samiti, who has written to the Collector objecting to the notification, says the move is against the interests of tribespeople who have been allotted the land but could not settle here for various reasons.
“Many plots that have been notified belong to the Paniya community, a most vulnerable backward tribal community.” He says the problems faced by the tribespeople in the Aralam farm are well known. There is no basic infrastructure and the people have to face the threat of wild elephants too.
Instead of addressing the problems faced by the tribespeople, the administration is cancelling the title deeds. This is an attempt to allocate land to those favouring the ruling party, says Mr. Koyyon.
He says the agreement was to provide land to one-third of tribespeople from Kannur and two-third belonging to Wayanad. Despite this many had to approach court to get land. The land, which had been allotted in such a manner were now being taken away from them.
He said an attempt was on to give the land to people who had moved from Kasaragod, Idukki and Kottayam. He said an agitation would be launched if a move was made to take away land allotted to tribespeople.
