At least 63 people have been murdered in the past 30-35 years in Attappady and the investigation into those cases has not made any headway, the Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged.
Party State president Kummanam Rajasekharan told the media here on Sunday that four of them had been burnt to death. Mr. Rajasekharan claimed he came to know about it during a visit to the area in the wake of the murder of Madhu, a tribal youth. He said that Madhu’s murder was the latest in a series of similar incidents in the area and the government should order a judicial probe into the social circumstances that led to the incident.
“A.K. Balan, Minister for Tribal Affairs, should own moral responsibility for it and resign from his post,” Mr. Rajasekharan demanded.
There was the need for a relook into the crores of rupees that had been spent and many projects that had been implemented for the welfare of the tribespeople. These projects could not address their basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and jobs.
Land issues
The land that the tribespeople deserved could not be handed over to them even after a series of agitations as the government had not taken any steps in their favour, Mr. Rajasekharan said.
The BJP president alleged that the ₹500 crore sanctioned by the Union government to Kerala for the welfare of tribals had not been utilised properly. The State government should release a White Paper on the funds that had been spent by the State as well as the grants released by the Centre. The government should hold a social audit, he added.
