CPI(M)-Led Hartal Begins in Seven Pathanamthitta Villages Over Eco-Sensitive Zone Inclusion

Pathanamthitta: A hartal called by the CPI(M) began on Saturday in seven villages in Pathanamthitta district included in the draft notification on eco-sensitive zones. The hartal is being observed from 6 am to 6 pm in Chittar, Seethathodu, Kollamula, Perunad, Aruvappulam, Vadasserikkara and Thannithode. Shops and commercial establishments remain closed. Essential services, including hospitals, ambulances, newspaper distribution and milk supply, have been exempted.

The list submitted by the state government to the Centre on September 24 includes all seven villages and their populated areas in the district. Residents are currently facing difficulties in buying or selling land in these areas. If the areas are declared wildlife sanctuaries, residents could be forced to leave their homes with nothing, the concerns raised by the protesters suggest.

The failure of the Chief Minister and state ministers to meet the Prime Minister and other concerned Union ministers to address the issue has triggered widespread protests. UDF MLAs have not even been willing to raise the issue in the Assembly, while the district’s MP has also come under scrutiny for not taking a position on the matter.

The CPI(M) has appealed to the public to make the hartal a success, demanding that all seven villages be excluded from the eco-sensitive zone provisions that it says threaten to make life difficult for people in the hill regions where they were born and raised.