The State government should file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the order to evict forest dwellers, including tribespeople, from forests, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said.
Mr. Balakrishnan was leading the district tour of the Kerala Samrakshana Yatra here on Thursday.
The CPI(M) leader said the Supreme Court order would affect as many as 11 crore people, including tribespeople, living in the forests.
He said the Forest Rights Act had given them the right to live in forests.
Centre blamed
The Forest Rights Act was passed in 2006 giving the right to the tribespeople and other forest dwellers staying in the forests prior to 2005 to stay there, he said. The lackadaisical attitude of the Union government had led to the Supreme Court promulgating such an order, he said.
Mr. Balakrishnan said the decision to evict the tribespeople from the forests was cruelty towards society itself.
He said the LDF policy was to provide title deeds and possession certificates to all eligible persons and steps had already been taken in this regard.
The LDF yatra in the district concluded at Thiruvalla in the afternoon.
Mr. Balakrishnan addressed rallies at Konni, Ranni, and Thiruvalla on Thursday. The yatra was accorded reception at Konni, Pandalam, Ranni, and Thiruvalla before it left for Alappuzha.