Keezhattur is an agrarian village in the Kannur district of Kerala with large paddy fields which are also wetlands. The state government decided to use land passing through paddy fields in the village to construct a road that will bypass Taliparamba town as a part of a four-lane highway for NH 66 (Kochi to Mumbai) to avoid traffic congestion. For this, the National Highway Authority of India needs to acquire 29.11 hectares of land. Of which, 21.09 hectares are wetlands including paddy fields, which serve as the water recharge points for Keezhattur and nearby villages.
The Keezhattur anti-acquisition protest seeks attention into different issues including land acquisition, and opposition to environmental impact on the local habitat and water resources. Villagers have been opposing the Road Project to protect their paddy lands from being acquired and destroyed. The agitating farmers call themselves Vayalkilikal (birds of the paddy field). When the protests started in 2016, it was a small protest by a mere 60 farmers of the village. Over time it transformed into a huge struggle with support from various environmental activists, political parties and civil society organisations. The protest has been gaining momentum since.
The issue is also being used by the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to allegedly gain a foothold in the village, which is currently dominated by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). While the CPI (M) claimed that 56 out of 60 residents have consented the land acquisition, the locals claimed that the consent letters were fake. In March 2018, protestors threatened to immolate themselves if their field is acquired and took over the paddy fields. However, police arrested 49 protestors to diffuse the tension.
In June 2018, Suresh Keezhatoor, leader of Vayalkilikal, submitted a memorandum through the local BJP party for a proper assessment of the impact of the project on local ecology. Following this, the land acquisition was stalled for time being. However, on the 21st of November 2018, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued the final notification and asked landowners to appear before the special tahsildar LA (NHAI), Taliparamba, with documents to prove their ownership on specified dates and times for finalising compensation.
Despite protests, in 2020, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala inaugurated the national highway development work. However, the people held protests in October 2020, burning effigies of the Chief Ministers and Transport Minister to protest against the plans to construct a bypass through the village.
In May 2022, heavy rains submerged the newly constructed road by NHAI, highlighted the environmental concerns. By November 2023, the government had advanced the Kuppam-Keezhattoor-Koovodu-Kuttikol bypass project, offering higher compensatory payments swamp lands, which led to many protestors from the Vayalkkilikal movement to withdraw their opposition. Later the same year, the officials from the Union government reported that the fields has not been actively cultivated for decades and can be pursued for the project.
In December 2024, the first phase of the skywalk of the Keezhattoor flyover was completed. The bypass road is being raised by filling the soil from the hillock on the Pattuvam Road in Pulimbaram to the flyover in Mandhamkund.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
What was the action taken by the police?
Detention
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
30
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Released from detention
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Don't Know
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2024
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Grazing
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
6500
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
1988
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
2023
Why did the conflict end?
A team of central officials appointed to study the arguments raised by the protestors reported that there had been no cultivation in the fields for the past 20 years and only grass cultivation was taking place in the low-lying areas. In December 2024, the first phase of the flyover of the NH bypass over Keezhattoor has been completed.
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Law, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Violation of free prior informed consent
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Kerala High Court
Case Number
W.A.No.2317 OF 2019
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Yes
Reported Details of the Violation:
On confrontation of protestors with officials from Revenue Dept and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) visited the village for measuring the land - the Vayalkilikal protestors poured diesel on themselves and threatened to set themselves on fire. The police detained about 30 protestors and shifted from that location.
Date of Violation
March 13, 2018
Location of Violation
Keezhattoor
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Public Works Department
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NTPRC), Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Vayalkilikal; Committee in Solidarity of Keezhattur Protest, Keezhattoor Azhikyadhartham Samithi
What was the action taken by the police?
Detention
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
30
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Released from detention
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Don't Know
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sooraj is an activist engaging in human rights and land issues in his home state of Kerala. As a freelance journalist, he also writes about agrarian issues and campus politics. He holds an M.Phil in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
