The ongoing agitation by residents of Keezhattur near Taliparamba against the proposed bypass has brought to the fore differences between CPI(M) workers and supporters, who are in the forefront of the protest, and the party leadership that is against the stir.
The agitation against the move to build the bypass through paddy fields as part of developing the national highway in the Malabar region is spearheaded by party workers under the aegis of a platform named ‘Vayalkilikal’.
Their concern is that the route plan that had been finalised earlier after a survey had been set aside in favour of a new route through the paddy fields of Keezhattur. The project will devastate the entire paddy field in the area, the agitators feel.
“We suspect a hidden agenda behind the change of plan,” said Sasi Keezhattur, a local CPI(M) worker and secretary of Keezhattur Patashekhara Samiti. Maintaining that the agitation was neither against the party nor against the State government, he said the stir would continue regardless of the party leadership’s stand on the issue. “Our objective is to save our locality and environment,” he noted.
While party workers at Keezhattur are firm that they will oppose the construction of the bypass through paddy fields, the party leadership’s stand on the issue was conveyed by district secretary P. Jayarajan. Reacting to the agitation, as reported in a section of the media, he said since road development was the requirement of all people, putting roadblocks to it could not be accepted. “The CPI(M)’s stand is that the bypass should be developed in accordance with the existing alignment,” he said, adding that those behind the agitation were causing confusion over the issue.
Meanwhile, the indefinite hunger strike by party activist Suresh Keezhattur against the project entered the seventh day on Saturday. Incidentally, the agitation also has the backing of women.
They staged a ‘kitchen strike’ on September 15, expressing solidarity with the agitation. Though mainstream political parties have not announced their support, local environmental activists have backed it.