Farmers? Agitation : Keezhattur Never on Knees

T Satisan, Kerala

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told in Keezhattur that farmers’ agitation under the banner of ‘Vayalkkili” (Birds of the paddy fields) is exactly similar to the Nandigram agitation that took place in Bengal. The latter put an end to the decades-long CPM rule in the State. Similarly Keezhattur agitation is going to finish the CPM rule in Kerala. It is to protect paddy fields and the water bodies. BJP will give wholehearted support to agitation because it is for the right of the farmers for the paddy fields. Not a grain of soil will be surrendered before the corrupt leaders and corporates. Interestingly Keezhattur is CPM party village where a non-BJP organisation cannot enjoy any fundamental right of freedom of expression or organisation. The CPM takes all their tricks out from their book to dissuade the farmers from the agitation. Influence, threat and money are some of them.

Sinha added that the CPM tries to snatch the land from the farmers. Keezhattur witnesses the battle for the birth land of the farmers. The CPM aims at Rs 300 crore corruption by filling the paddy fields and taking the Keezhattur soil to somewhere else. When BJP came forward to fight this out Congress and others have also followed suit. They will drop by wayside. But, BJP will stand by the farmers until the farmers win the battle. Sinha asked Pinarayi to stop his anti-farmer policies. The CPM is scared of BJP’s agitation hence their marches in Kannur District. Such CPM marches should be renamed as “marches of apology to the farmers”.

Sinha was addressing a mammoth farmers’ rally organised by “Vayalkkili Movement” and BJP in Keezhattur where CPM-led LDF regime is using force to drive the farmers away from their land and construct a highway there. He was speaking after flagging off a “Karshaka Raksha March” led by PK Krishnadas, BJP national executive member and former State president. He urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to put an end to his anti-farmers policy in the state. The CPM digs its own grave in Keezhattur. Their fate in the State will be the same as they faced in Bengal. Sinha flagged off the March by handing over the flag to Krishnadas. CPM leader and the leader of the Keezhattur agitation Nambradath Janaki Amma gave a bunch of paddy plants and a cap made of spathe, taken from areca nut tree, to Rahul Sinha. CPM leader Keezhattur Suresh administered the oath of environment protection to the crowd of thousands of people. Rahul Sinha gifted a handful of soil brought from Nandigram, which witnessed bloodbath in connection with the farmers’ agitation, to Janaki Amma. Then the participants performed Bhoomivandan before they started the march.

Suresh Keezhattur said that “Vayalkkilis” can agitate along with RSS and BJP if CPM leader TN Seema could join hands with BJP leaders in the agitation against Aranmula airport couple of years ago. He was taking a dig at the CPM leadership in view of their criticism against him for joining hands with RSS and BJP workers in the agitation.

The march covered 21 kms to reach Kannur where it culminated and held a public meeting. Hundreds of women and children participated in the march. They weathered the hot April which raised the mercury above the level of tolerance.

The valedictory public meeting turned a massive one. Addressing the gathering PK Krishnadas, the captain of the march, asked the government to stop the construction of the bypass. They are constructing ‘mafia pass’. The ‘Vayalkkili’ agitation is for the preservation of paddy fields and water bodies and the culture of the farmers. CPM stands to destroy the same. They act as locusts. CM Pinarayi Vijayan should agree to settle the issues through democratic discussions. His party should come out from the clutches of land mafia. The Keezhattor agitation is for the sake of food, air and water.

Former BJP state president CK Padmanabhan announced in the meeting that CPM does not know history. They should accept it and opt for self-introspection.

“Karshaka March” has underlined the farmers’ determination to fight until they win. The farmers bank on BJP support as they have lost confidence in others.

CPM’s arrogance makes Keezhattur issue much complicated. They are converting this village into another Nandigram or Singur. But, their arrogance makes them forget several aspects:

l They shut a blind eye against the scientific fact that one acre of paddy field can conserve 9 lakhs litres of water.

l The election manifesto they issued before the 2016 Assembly polls mentioned clearly few things in this regard: Paddy cultivation will be encouraged to the maximum possible extent; Paddy cultivators will be given royalty for their agriculture; Paddy cultivators not only generate food but also save water.

The above were among 35 items they had included in their election manifesto. But, once they got power, they conveniently forgot their pet slogans. This is going to lead them to a ‘Waterloo’.