Mevani calls for 2nd land reforms movement

T'PURAM: Kerala needs a second land reforms movement, said prominent dalit activist Jignesh Mevani. Addressing a massive rally organized by Cheramar Sambavar Development Society (CSDS) here, Mevani said that the first edition of land reforms in the state had left the dalits in the state with a raw deal. “The need of the hour is a ‘Chalo Thiruvananthapuram’ movement aimed at capturing and distributing over 5 lakh hectares of land for all landless people. Dalits, adivasis, Muslims and other landless people should stand together in the fight,” he said.The Gujarat-based activist also said that the so called ‘Gujarat Model’ is a joke and should not be taken up as a model. “Casteism is a unique and unfortunate part of Indian society. Even in this modern age of scientific progress it persists within the minds of Indians, so much that the British parliament had to enact a law against the evil due to the practice of the system by Indians living there,” he said.With regard to recent attacks against dalits and Muslims, he said that the sangh parivar and its subsidiaries were trying to replace the Indian Constitution with Manu’s laws and only by the unified action of dalits, adivasis, minorities and intellectual class the Sangh Parivar agenda could be thwarted.SC/ST welfare minister A K Balan inaugurated the rally. MLAs Anto Antony, P C George and Raju Abraham were among those who addressed the gathering of thousands of workers of the society who had come from various parts of the state.