Chengara struggle

The Chengara struggle refers to an ongoing controversy about land near the Chengara village in the Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India.

Introduction

Land is always a topic of discussion in India and the southern State Kerala, where the Chengara struggle takes place, is no exception. Eviction from one’s own land for a public purpose happens often in India (e.g. the Tata Nano Singur controversy or the Narmada Bachao Andolan).

However, the Chengara struggle is different - it is a direct claim on land by the landless. In 2007 the Dalits and Adivasis entered and occupied the rubber plantation of Harissons Malayalam Ltd. They claim that the company themself occupies the part of the rubber plantation near the Chengara village illegally. Therefore, they justify their action in doing the same as Harissons Malayalam Ltd. They asked the question: If a big industrial company like Harissons Malayalam Ltd. can illegally encroach land, aren’t the Adivasi and Dalits, two of the poorest sections of the societies in India, justified in doing the same? Or as the renowned writer Arundhati Roy, who supported the Adivasis and Dalits in their struggle, alleged: "No action was taken against the company when it encroached the land but when the Dalits and Adivasis encroached it, suddenly all sorts of actions are being initiated."

Chengara

Chengara is a small village situated in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. It is approximately 10 km from the district headquarters. The village is 110 km from Kochi, and just over 100 km from the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, depending on the route taken.

Overview

Chengara is known for its natural beauty,hills and good climate. Out of four borders, three borders of Chengara is surrounded by Harrisons Malayalam limited (a rubber plantation company).Chengara was found to have the cleanest air, in terms of least concentration of dust particles in air. The nearest towns to chengara are Konni which is of about 6 km and pathanamthitta which is of about 10 km. The newly allotted medical college is just 3 km away from the village.

Climate

The village enjoys a tropical climate, the monsoons start in June. The months of April–May can get humid. The best weather is from October to February. Chengara experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May. The warmest month in Chengara is April. Although summer doesn't end until May, the village often experiences heavy thundershowers in May, although the humidity remains high. The monsoon season lasts from June to August, with moderate rainfall. Most of the heavy rainfall in the village falls between June and July, with June being the wettest month of the year