Kerala: Year-long stir for land restoration

KOZHIKODE: While the state observes ‘International Human Rights Day’ on Saturday,   Treesa and James, daughter and son-in-law of the late farmer Kanjirathinal George, have been continuing their  sit-in  agitation in front of the Wayanad collectorate weathering  the biting cold and scorching heat. The agitation was started on August 15, 2105. The  government has failed to legally restore the land to the farmer in spite of the efforts of  former  chief ministers V.S. Achuthanandan  and Oommen Chandy.

An investigation report by the state Vigilance department and another report by the Mananthavadi sub-collector had also favoured the farmer. The report of  sub-collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao submitted recently on the direction from chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan  says that the “forest department does not have any evidence to show that the land claimed by the families was private forest land and comes under the purview of Madras Preservation of Private Forest Act”.

The 50-page report explains how the forest department officials fabricated evidence and manipulated records to prove that the land was vested in 1977.  It sheds light on the way the spot verifications of the forest tribunal were misguided by the forest department without providing facts and documents. “The forest tribunal was not properly assisted by the forest department,”  the report said. A Vigilance report submitted in 2009 had found that there was  manipulation of records by the forest department and also action against the officials.

However James said that he would fight for justice till the last. “I have faith in the system and I believe one day I will get justice,” he added.  It may be recalled that George and his brother Jose had bought the 12 acres of Janmam patta land in 1967. In 1977, the  forest department had attempted to evict the farmer claiming that the department had notified the land under Kerala Private Forest Vesting and Assignment Act. As the move was illegal, the forest tribunal in a verdict recognized the right of the farmer in 1978. But later the forest officials fabricated evidence and won the case in a series of legal wrangles, leaving the farmer and later his successors to launch  a  battle for justice.