The state government should end discrimination against tribal families affected by the Mundakkai landslide and immediately announce a comprehensive rehabilitation package, said M. Geethanandan, state coordinator of the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha (AGMS).
In a statement issued here on Thursday, Mr. Geethanandan said that the rehabilitation of 13 tribal families who were to be resettled from Punchirimattam and Erattukund areas has not progressed despite the launch of the first phase of the township project in the disaster-hit Mundakkai region.
According to him, tribal families were excluded from the township project. He said they also expressed their reluctance to abandon their forest-based livelihoods. Keeping this in mind, the government has decided to allot alternative land near Chooralmala village under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, he claimed.
“Funds for construction of houses and implementation of other rehabilitation projects for the affected families have not been identified yet,” said Mr. Geethanandan. He described the issue as a clear example of neglect and discrimination against the socially marginalized tribal community.
The AGMS leader also hit out at the government and disaster management agencies for entrusting the responsibility of tribal rehabilitation mainly to district-level officials, despite the announcement of large-scale urban and rehabilitation projects in the area.
He pointed out that nearly 500 tribal families in Wayanad who suffered losses during the 2018 and 2019 floods and subsequent landslides are still awaiting proper rehabilitation. He said the government should immediately announce the rehabilitation package, failing which the organization would launch protests and resort to legal action.
Published – 05 March 2026 20:23 IST
