The unending Arippa land struggle

 The 3cent land trap, caste violence, and health inequity of Arippa residents

 Kerala govt has long neglected healthcare, education, and livelihood of  people of Arippa since 2012 despite Kerala’s radical land reform laws

In a forest in the Kollam district in Kerala, nearly 550 families live under blue tarpaulin roofs of their makeshift houses tucked in using palm sticks.  Water, electricity, food, medicines, healthcare and access to all basic facilities for residents are denied in an extended ordeal they are confined to for the past 11 years.

 While Bhooparishkkarana Niyamam(Land reforms laws) in Kerala is lauded for its assurance of justice-based land ownership,  Adivasis, Dalits, Religious minorities, landless and the marginalized still struggle for their land titles in Kerala. One such ongoing land struggle protest movement is Arippa Bhoosamaram (Arippa and struggle)

90 acres in Arippa  forest was in possession of  business tycoon (Late) Thangal Kunju Musaliar who had leased the land for 90 years. Musaliar had retained it for 102 years and on land tenure expiring in 2001, the Kerala Government took over and declared the land as surplus revenue land. Around 21.54 acres were set aside for beneficiaries of Chengara land struggle, who had been given pattayam (land title deed) in 2009. 

In the remaining 68.46 acres , 13 were meant for the Dr. Ambedkar Model Residential School. The remaining 55.46 acres that were meant to be redistributed among the Adivasis, Dalits, and landless were instead set aside for developmental projects. Arippa Bhoosamaram ( Arippa Land struggle) is the ongoing protest to claim this surplus land  to be redistributed to the landless. “ On December 31st of 2012 we decided to camp our protest here, since then we suffer with various livelihood issues, all for living in dignity, if not for us, for our children'',  Ramesh who is the secretary of Adivasi Dalit Munnetta Samithi (ADMS) said while talking about how the general population falls for the narrative that Arippa protest site is an encroached land that should be for developmental projects.  

Ramesh explained the tactics that govts and corporates irrespective of their ideology impose on the people of Arippa. “We demand farmland, we will not let any more modern colonization on us . Governments think offering 3 cents and a 450 sq ft house to us will solve the issue, if that were the case, we could simply apply for housing through panchayath, we want the ownership of the land we tilled. When there is a shortage in food production - what is stopping them to let us have our land titles given to us”. He added while also talking on social  and health justice for the Arippa residents whose labour  transformed Kulathupuzha Arippa forest into farmland. 

Villagers have mixed feelings about the site and a part of the protest site is encroached by a group of villagers who claim land too. “when villagers who have encroached here claim land and agree to the 5 or 10 cents put forth by the government– our fight for social justice fail–we want justice” Ramesh said. He further added, “We were the only full-fledged paddy cultivators a few years back, we did all kinds of farming and yet are denied secured land titles because- land ownership would mean self-sufficiency and the dominant corporates cannot let go of our dependency to them—they want us to be their labourers forever, they want to keep the slavery going on for generations like they always do” . he said

 

Arippa Samarabhoomi ( Arippa Protest Site) is by the side of thiruvananthapuram-shenkottai road and is 50km north of Kerala’s capital. Entering the Protest site there is also a shed where protest-related meetings are held. Banners, portraits and posters are all over the walls of the sheds. The center of the shed holds portraits of Dr. B R Ambedkar, Ayyankali and Buddha. Arippa residents have various forms of resistance and protests. When Kerala government celebrated the 50 year anniversary of land reform laws, Arippa residents protested by making porridge outside of the CM's residence . Nabeesa, who lives close to the protest-shed said, “Leaders, media, students, actors, academicians, and many others come and go , we don't think they are actually fighting for us”  .

On detailing the health scenario of the Arippa residents, Sulekha Beevi, 71, one of the oldest and first protestors who has been living at the site since 2012 had a lot to tell. “ We are here in the proximity of all the leaders in Thiruvananthapuram and yet they are comfortable to ignore us,  I pay for medicines I can't afford, I don't have money for my surgery and these meds sustain my life— these are all out of my pocket expenses from donations'' she said. 

Sulekha had cooked jackfruit seeds that she saved from the time someone donated jackfruit to the residents weeks ago. “I am not scared anymore. We will change these makeshift tarpaulin tents to brick-and-mortar houses one day, only proper housing can ensure our health” she added . 

Ramla Beevi lives in adjacent hut to Sulekha Beevi, Ramla’s husband was killed by money lenders 34 years ago, she lost her connection with her three children. “I have my widow-pension, I cry everyday thinking about my children , I cried at the police station today as well, “ she said .

 Ramla loves to cook for others. When Pushpakumari -another resident at Arippa, joined the conversation and asked Ramla if she can lend her any spices, Ramla said, “ – I don’t have any spices, I would love to though ,I am someone who loves to cook for others but only if I have enough supplies no? - I have chilli powder , we all add chilli powder so that we feel something” ,she said. 

Arippa residents don’t have the necessary documents to apply for healthcare benefits. Some of them managed to get rations and share them with other residents. They live in houses covered in old clothes, and makeshift bathrooms without taps or water– they use palm sticks that cost 15 per piece to support the huts on the roof.

Pushpakumari doesn’t have any identification documents.  She lost her children to poverty and lack of medical care. The residents were neglected from the Covid-19 aid too. They had to find outside means to survive the pandemic. Pushpakumari lost her husband to covid. “he fell and died in the middle of work, in that canal”, she said pointing to a distance. 

Residents go to the nearby forest to get palm leaves to make brooms. They sell it off for 15 rupees. As years pass this becomes a difficult task as wild animals interrupt their everyday work. Also due to old age working in forest becomes a difficult job . Pushpakumari also used to make palm leaf brooms, she stopped working two months ago due to  health issues “some of us have disabilities and are chronically ill. we don’t have the physical strength to harvest palm leaves for brooms from the forest anymore”, she said

“ Medical camp was halted at Arippa sometime in the past , later no government health-aid came here, some private institutes come for camps , the health issues are due to the ongoing betrayal , we  try to  give proper care to our people in means possible by us”  said Sreeram Koyyur, protest leader.  

. Radamani,who lives at the upper hill of the site , talked about her life before Arippa protest , she lost her younger daughter to domestic violence, she also has another daughter who is chronically ill . Radamani’s husband fell mentally ill from the trauma of losing their daughter. “charity-institutions come and take pictures with us that’s what they do, not a single penny or aid we get from any of those”. She said  

Sindhu who survived a heart attack recently lives with stage 4 heart-blocks , “I want to attend the protest meetings and fight, but I am afraid I am tired, I didn’t make it to most of the meetings , only people  going through this will understand this, I learned what protest means in these last 10 years” she said. Sindhu joined Arippa in the year 2013.  She used to work at the petrol pump opposite the protest site. Now, Suma, another resident has taken over her job at the pump. Arippa residents find it hard to find jobs and go through everyday discrimination outside of the protest site.  

Thatha, the oldest of the residents carries water from the nearby well outside of the protest site in a plastic tub- “luckily the neighbour house owner agreed to fetch water from their well today— we only have a small stream inside of the protest site that too is contaminated from the oil spills from the factory—it is not fit for drinking” – she said.  Arippa residents seek answers and solutions from the local administration and Kerala government on basic necessities and means of livelihood. On asking about the land struggle, Kulathupuzha ward member, Sabu Abraham said “I  wish the most deserving get what they are fighting for”.

ADMS Secretary , Ramesh recollected the time Minister K Raju made insensitive remarks and belittled the Arippa land struggle. He also mentioned how leaders like Cheriyan Philip, ensured them full protection and promised to even stay at the site to extend solidarity during elections. On asking about the plight of land struggle today, K Raju said, “Government agreed to give them what they need, the protesters didn’t agree. While Cheriyan Philip commented, “I do not remember much of the issue, It was a long time ago”.  

-Athira Elssa Johnson