God of landless people lives in Chengara….in hut…in poverty….!

Land Struggle in Chengara continues...even after two years...!
The Land struggle in Chengara, Pathanamtitta district, Kerala by landless Dalits and Adivasis (as well as scores of families from OBC communities, Muslims, Christians etc) from all parts of Kerala, started on 4 August 2007 and it completed two years in their struggle for human dignity and right to live. The movement is a fight to re-claim ownership of land that has been part of a long standing promise of the Government. At present nearly 7000 families, more than 20,000 people have entered the Harrison Malayalam Private Ltd Estate, living in temporary arrangements.
The Chengara Land struggle demands permanent ownership of agricultural ownership to the Dalits and Adivasis. The Sadhu Jana Vimochana Samyuktha Vedi (SJVSV), the movement that leads the struggle, has opted for the land take-over as a strategy remembering the tradition of the great leader Ayyankali, the militant Dalit leader whose mission was to ensure the liberation of Dalits from various forms of slavery, right to agricultural land, as well as right to education in Kerala.

For the people (who are involving in the struggle) it is a struggle for existence, dignity and self identity. It is a struggle based on the principle of right to live with dignity for the the Dalits and Adivasis.

Their struggle is not against anybody but it is a question of their rights, the right to live. This is a radical step in people's initiative to attain land rights. It exposes the socio-cultural reasons for landlessness among Dalits and Adivasis in Kerala. It says that 85% of the landless in Kerala are the Dalits, and Adviasis, who were also traditionally excluded from attaining wealth, power, titles and assets.

The SJVSV says that Dalits and Adivasis could not benefit from the land reform of 1970s since its major focus was on giving land to the tenants. In Kerala's context the caste and cultural hierarchy, with
strong oppressive segregation of these communities, did not allow them to be tenants. That is why many of them could not avail the benefits even today.
Most importantly the mainstream political parties, media, churches are not in the struggle of these people. The movement has till now survived attacks, threats, epidemics and hunger.

Chengara Pledge: As Recited by Soumya Babu, an 11 Year old Girl who said she will go to school only after shegetsland.

I love my country. I will try to learn about the Constitution and laws of my country. I will work for fulfilling the pristine objective of the Constitution.I will take part in the nation building process in my own way. I will not discriminate against any Indian on the basis of religion or caste.I understand us as owners of a great tradition as well as protectors of a great democracy.

Who is the owner of the land? This is the pertinent question we have to ask in the context of this struggle.

The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are aliens and tenets (Levitcus:25:23).

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, ….(Psalms 24:1).

God is the owner of the land and we human beings are only the farmers of this land. But we(elite strata of the society) accumulated land and the God given resources by which many forced to live without a piece of land. Where do we stand? How do we theoligise this issue? Is it a negation of life? Dominant ideologies and its supporters portrayed this struggle as the violation as the state law. When MNCs,TNCs and the big shots of the society violate the laws, who cares? When the indigenous people and people who are the victims of the sinful and unjust structures fiht for their existence and right to live, power holders and its beneficiaries will come up as the protectors of the law as the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jesus' time.

One thing is sure, God is the God of the poor and God takes side with landless and victims.Yesterday in the 'Varthavaram' programme of the Surya TV I have seen that even the small children raising slogans against the dominant unjust structures. Yes, I relises that prayers in the form of slogans coming out of their strong faith in a God of liberation. Yes, God lives in Chengara.God’s face reflects the pain of the people, will we able to see it? Listen carefully, we can hear God’s cry as in the cross...I think our numbness to unjust and life negating structures prevents us from seeing God in the struggles of the peolpe.