The Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have called separate dawn-to-dusk hartals on June 10 and June 16 respectively in the wake of the Supreme Court order declaring a 1 km area of notified forest as ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ).
In a press meet at Kattappana, LDF leaders said the order has far-reaching effects and demanded the immediate intervention of the Union government in the matter.
In a district such as Idukki with a large area of notified forests, the human-inhabited areas are close to the forests. The order is a follow-up of the incorrect decision taken by the former Congress-led Union government at the Centre. The hartal is against the move to make the life of farmers in the high ranges miserable. The Supreme Court order asking for the State’s response on it is a positive sign and a relief to farmers, said LDF district convenor K.K. Sivaraman and CPI(M) district secretary C.V. Varghese.
The UDF announced the hartal against the State and the Union governments’ “indifference” which has resulted in the Supreme Court order. UDF district chairman S. Ashokan and district convenor M.J. Jacob said at Thodupuzha that an all-party meeting in 2019 decided to amend the land rules to find a solution to the land-related issue in Idukki district. However, the LDF government did nothing on it and the Supreme Court order was the result of inaction by the State government.
The hartal is to protest the apathy of the government towards the farmers in the district, they said.
