The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has declared support for the struggle of Keezhattur Vayalkilikal to protect their livelihood and natural resources and called upon the government to find an amicable solution to the issue by holding talks with the agitators.
The NAPM, in a public appeal signed by leading social activists in the country, called upon the government to listen to the demands of the movement and hold dialogue with the people of Keezhattur to find an amicable solution to the issues raised by the Vayalkilikal and the affected people.
It urged the Union Transport Minister to save the precious ecosystem and not to destroy it when other options were available.
It noted that though the agitators had proposed an alternative alignment for the highway, prepared by the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) to avoid environmental destruction, the Union Surface Transport Ministry had refused to consider it.
“It is unfortunate that the Kerala government is also siding with the Centre on this issue and is not siding with the movement to press for change of the alignment. We urge that the Government of Kerala to pressurise the Centre and get the NHAI to change the alignment to save the fields and drinking water sources,” the appeal said.
Signatories to the appeal included Medha Patkar (NBA); Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh (MKSS); Vilayodi Venugopal, Kusumam Joseph, Sharath Chelloor, John Peruvanthanam, V.D. Majeendran, Purushan Eloor, Suresh George (NAPM, Kerala); Prafulla Samantara (Lok Shakti Abhiyan); Lingraj Azad (Samajwadi Jan Parishad); Binayak Sen (PUCL); and Gautam Bandopadhyay (Nadi Ghati Morcha).
