Farmers,public take out march against bypass road construction

Hundreds of farmers and people from all over Kerala took out a march here today against construction of a bypass road through paddy fields in Keezhattur area in the district, police said.

Among those who took part in the agitation were former KPCC president V M Sudheeran, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and actor Suresh Gopi, P C George, MLA, and environmental actvist Hareesh Vasudevan.

Police said there was no untoward incident and the march went off peacefully.

Later, speaking at a public meeting, Sudheeran flayed the state government for allegedly not considering the views of the people.

"I did not expect that CPI(M) will take such a stance. The same tactics and methods adopted by the feudal lords against the communist movement are being adopted by CPI(M) leaders against the agitators," he said.

"Now, the people of Kerala have understood the games played by the ruling party," he added.

Suresh Gopi said he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to resolve the issue amicably.

Yesterday, the CPI(M) district committee had taken out a march to protest against the decision of the state government to go ahead with the road project.

The 'Janajagratha Yatra' march sought to expose the alleged false propaganda unleashed by 'Vayalkilikal' (Paddy Birds) outfit, which is spearheading the stir.

The CPI(M) had rejected the contention of the agitators and said the march was against the attempt of the outfit to place hurdles in the path of development.

The agitators, comprising farmers and local people, alleged that the government proposal would destroy over 200 acres of paddy field, leaving many people homeless and jobless in Keezhattur and surrounding areas.

It would also result in the destruction of wetland in the area, they said, adding that their fight is for the protection of the environment and livelihood.

The agitation has taken a political turn as most of the participants were former CPI(M) workers, who were expelled from the party forr taking part in the stir.

Though the outfit 'Vayalkilikal' had been on a warpath for the past three months, the agitation came into focus after a group of persons, stated to be CPI-M activists, set fire to a temporary shed of the protesters on March 14, the day a team of officials of the National Highway Authority of India had arrived in the area for surveying.

In a related development, the house of the 'Vayalkili' leader Suresh Keezhattoor was attacked by a group of unidentified people on March 22.