The latest ‘achievement’ of the Chandy-led Government in this regard has been the postponement of a decision on implementation of the report of the sub-committee on the takeover of Nelliampathy and Cherunelli estates, which the Government says are forest land.

And this is despite the Government’s repeated declarations about its ‘firm commitment’ to protect the forest land at any cost. The fact of the matter is that, whenever its survival is threatened, then the Chandy Government conveniently forgets such commitments!.

The report, submitted recently by Convener, A N Rajan Babu, who belongs to the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithy, a constituent of the ruling United Democratic Front(UDF), has stressed the need for a legal solution to the sensitive issue in view of the plethora of cases pending in various courts.

However, this is not acceptable to the Kerala Congress(M), an important partner of the UDF Government, which favours a ‘political solution’ to the issue which, it says, affects the lives of thousands of small farmers. Incidentally, three members of the eight-member sub-committee – P C George and Johny Nellur of the KC(M) and K R Aravindakshan of the CMP - have opposed the report. The other five members, A N Rajan Babu(JSS), C V Balachandran(Congress), N Shamsuddin(IUML), Dr Verghese George(Socialist Janata)and Venugopalan Nair(KC-B) are for a legal solution to the issue.

In support of its argument, the report refers to a Supreme Court verdict which says that the Nelliampathy estates are forest land.

The sub-committee had been set up sometime back following the directive of Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar to the Forest Department to take over some of the controversial estates, including the Nelliampathy and Cherunelli estates on the charge of lease deed violations by the estate owners.

The opposition of the Kerala Congress (Mani) to the takeover of the estates is understandable as the estate owners, settlers from central Travancore, form the party’s voter bank. The Rajan Babu report, significantly highlights the problems being faced by more than 100 small scale farmers in Nelliampathy because of ‘harassment’ from the Forest Department officials.

Any attempt by the government to take over these estates would incur the wrath of thousands of settlers – a luxury the KC(M) cannot afford. Hence their fierce opposition to the takeover of these estates and insistence on a ‘political solution’ - a euphemism for not taking over the estates!

In view of the slender majority which the UDF enjoys, the government is in no position to offend the KC(M)’s sensibilities in the matter. So much for the Chandy Government’s ‘firm commitment’ to protect forest land! (IPA Service)