An action committee has been formed at Iritty in Kannur to protest against the SupremeCourt order to mark one-kilometre eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The Aralam-Kottiyoor-Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary Buffer Zone Action Committee was formed in a meeting attended by members of political parties, the Thalassery diocese, and representatives from the area that falls under the ESZ. At the meeting, a decision was taken to observe a hartal on Tuesday in the five hilly regions of Aralam, Kottiyoor, Kelakam, Kanichar, and the Ayyankunnu panchayat. The hartal would be followed by a mass public rally at Iritty.
The meeting has also decided to send a petition to the Prime Minister, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Law Minister. The committee has also decided to seek legal opinion as the order has been passed by the Supreme Court. Thalassery diocese Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany said that the Supreme Court order would displace 12 lakh farmers living on 5.5 lakh acres in the State. “It threatens to divide the State and everyone should work together by forgetting their political, caste and religious differences,” he said.
MLA Sunny Joseph alleged that the decision taken in 2019 during the State Cabinet meeting is being imposed by the Supreme Court now.
District Congress Committee president Martin George alleged that the government, after agreeing for the one-kilometre ESZ, is taking a double stance after the court order, as if it was unaware of it.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has also announced a hartal on Tuesday in the five hilly regions. CPI(M) district secretary M.V. Jayarajan appealed to people to participate in the hartal.
