Adivasi-Dalit groups to hold rights declaration, gathering for fresh push for justice in Muthanga case

Adivasi and Dalit organisations are set to intensify their protests, demanding a thorough investigation into the death of Yogi, who was reportedly killed by police during the 2003 Muthanga land agitation. An Adivasi-Dalit gathering and Declaration of Rights will be held at Sulthan Bathery's Municipal Town Hall on Sunday, August 9, to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

The event will be inaugurated by Bommi Amma, the oldest surviving participant in the Muthanga struggle, at 9 a.m., followed by a cultural procession and a public meeting at 4 p.m. The Muthanga land agitation has recently resurfaced after the Kalpetta Principal Sessions Court acquitted all accused in the murder of police constable K.V.

Vinod, but convicted Geethanandan and three others on other charges, sentencing each to five years of rigorous imprisonment. Organisers argue that the failure to implement agreements reached during the historic Kudilketty Samaram in 2001 led to the agitation, during which Adivasi families settled on "ancestral land" inside the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and protested peacefully.

Jogi, who was killed in the police firing, remains without justice, and the organisers claim that around 55 people, including an eight-month-old child, died due to police atrocities. The organizers also allege that the National Human Rights Commission's directive to investigate alleged human rights violations, including those against women and children, was ignored.