Kerala government reaches agreement to end Arippa land protest

KOLLAM: Bringing an end to one of the states longest-running land protests, the state government has struck an agreement with protest groups leading the 14 year old Arippa land struggle in Punalur, Kollam. Revenue and Housing Minister K Rajan announced that all six protesting organisations have accepted the conditions proposed by the government. Under the settlement, 35 families from the Scheduled Tribe communities who originally had rights over one acre of land in Arippa will now be given 20 cents for homestead and 10 cents for cultivation, without affecting their existing land claim. In addition, 209 families from SC communities will be given 12 cents each, while 78 families from the general category will receive 10 cents each. Title deeds will be issued to all eligible families under the agreement. All six protesting organisations accepted this during the discussion, said the minister. The government will now initiate steps to officially transfer land ownership to the people, the minister added. As many currently reside in makeshift huts on the protesting land, demarcation and settlement procedures will be required. The Punalur RDO has been appointed as the settlement officer, and land surveys are scheduled to begin on Monday, with a directive to complete the process within ten days. The government aims to distribute the land as a New Year's gift by January 2026. The 94 acre parcel in Thinkalkarikkam village, Punalur taluk, was once in the illegal possession of Thanagal Kunju Musaliar, violating lease terms. It was reclaimed by the state on August 4, 1997, following intervention by then MLA P S Supal and Revenue Minister K E Ismail. Of this, 13.55 acres were allocated to the Kulathupuzha Model Residential School and 21.53 acres to the Chengara land protesters. Since December 31, 2012, Dalit and Adivasi families, who remained landless, had been protesting on the remaining land demanding land for habitation and farming. They have now been allotted 39.9 acres, excluding land marked for roads, playgrounds, and other public utilities. The total available land in Arippa stands at 48.83 acres. Minister K Rajan said the agreement was achieved after multiple rounds of discussions and sustained interventions. He also pointed out that in the earlier Chengara land distribution, many beneficiaries had abandoned the plots citing uninhabitable conditions. The state is now exploring alternative land options across Kerala to address their needs. Revenue Additional Secretary Anu S Nair has been appointed as the nodal officer to coordinate the further steps.