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.
