* Encroachment: police keep vigil at Athumbamkulam * Staff Reporter http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/26/stories/2007092654490400.htm
* Vedi activists stage dharna; 20 permitted to enter occupied land * * * PATHANAMTHITTA: The police blockade at the entry points of the roads leading to the encroached portions of the Kumbazha Estate of Harrisons Malayalam Limited continued for the second day on Tuesday. A large posse of police had been deployed at Athumbamkulam junction near Konni from Monday and they blocked entry to the estate division occupied by the Sadhu Jana Vimochana Samyukta Vedi (SJVSV) activists, literally cutting all their supplies, including food and fuel, from outside. Meanwhile, a group of Vedi activists staged a march and dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Tuesday, protesting against the police action. Inaugurating the dharna, SJVSV president Laha Gopalan, said there was no question of the landless families vacating the occupied portion of the estate. Mr. Gopalan alleged that the police action, denying even food and free movement of the landless people, including children and elderly people, was in gross violation of the High Court directive not to put the hapless Vedi activists to any sort of hardship. He said the Vedi would move court against the police action. The Vedi activists were removed by the police from the road, later. Meanwhile, District Collector Ashok Kumar Singh permitted 20 Vedi activists to enter the encroached land on their plea to take their belongings from there, later in the afternoon. The SJVSV activists encroached upon the private plantation on August 5, demanding five acres of land suitable for agriculture and Rs.50,000 in cash for each landless family among them. The illegal occupation continued all these days as the talks initiated by the Collector with the Vedi leaders failed. The number of illegal occupants at the estate too grew up in the course of time. At present, as many as 2,000 people were reportedly camping at the encroached land and they even started cultivation of vegetables there. The Collector said the encroachers were given enough time to vacate from the private property. The High Court too issued a directive to clear the estate in a period of one month. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
