Wayanad witnessed heightened tensions on Sunday morning as police obstructed disaster victims from crossing the Bailey bridge and marching toward the landslide-affected areas of Chooralmala. The demonstrators, consisting of landslide survivors, were protesting against the prolonged delay in rehabilitation efforts and the alleged exclusion of several affected individuals from the official beneficiary lists.

Under the leadership of the Janashadam Action Committee, the protest began at 9 AM, with demonstrators attempting to enter the disaster-stricken zones and erect makeshift shelters, expressing frustration over the slow pace of relief measures. They accused the government of failing to fulfill its commitments to the displaced families.

The protest commenced with the preparation of rice gruel at the landslide-hit site, symbolizing their struggle, before demonstrators attempted to move across the Bailey bridge. However, the police intervened, preventing them from advancing, which led to a heated standoff between the authorities and protesters.

In response, the demonstrators staged a sit-in on the road, chanting slogans for over an hour. The protest was eventually called off following discussions between the protesters and law enforcement officials.

Janashabdham Action Committee representatives reiterated their demand for the complete rehabilitation of all affected individuals, criticizing the authorities for allegedly using technicalities to exclude deserving beneficiaries from the official list.

Adding to the growing unrest, another advocacy group, the Janakeeya Action Committee, announced plans to stage a hunger strike in front of the collectorate on February 25. Their demands include allocating 10 cents of land per family for housing at Elston Estate, challenging the government’s proposal to provide only five cents per family in the designated township.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to address concerns, the government released a second draft list of beneficiaries, adding 81 more individuals, thereby increasing the total number of people eligible for rehabilitation to 323.