Now Reading: Adivasi-Dalit convention demands justice for 2003 Muthanga victims
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Adivasi-Dalit convention demands justice for 2003 Muthanga victims
Adivasi and Dalit groups held a convention and Declaration of Rights at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad on Sunday, demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the death of Jogi, who was killed in police…
The Story in Brief
Adivasi and Dalit groups held a convention and Declaration of Rights at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad on Sunday, demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the death of Jogi, who was killed in police firing during the 2003 Muthanga land agitation. Organised by the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha and the Ambedkarite Democratic Front on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the gathering was inaugurated by Bommi Amma, the oldest surviving participant in the stir.
The resolution seeks a fair probe into Jogi's death, implementation of the National Human Rights Commission's direction for a full inquiry into alleged human rights violations during the agitation, and adequate compensation for victims. The Muthanga agitation began after the government failed to distribute land to landless Adivasis under a 2001 agreement. Around 55 people, including an eight-month-old child, are alleged to have died later due to police atrocities.
The Indian Opinion
Twenty-three years after the Muthanga agitation, two narratives remain stuck in place: the state insists it acted within law, while Adivasi groups speak of a massacre covered up. Neither side has submitted to an independent, transparent inquiry. The NHRC called for one long ago, but that direction gathered dust. The test now is not rhetoric but action: will the Kerala government constitute the probe the commission asked for, and will it release the names and death records of those 55 alleged victims?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, thehindu.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
