On behalf of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, All India Organising secretary, Kashmiri Lal called upon the government not to permit the proposal to construct a private airport at Aranmula by converting the vast expanse of paddy land and wetland. On the thirtieth day of the ongoing agitation by Aranmula Paithruka Grama Karma Samithy, he extended the organisation's whole-hearted support to this cause.
He said that we are against paddy field conversion at Aranmula and that no department of the government should give permission to set up the proposed private airport, violating the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act-2008, Environment Protection Act, and the Land Utilisation Act-1967.
Further, government should take stern action against those who had illegally converted the paddy land and wetland. He further said paddy land and wetlands were the gifts of nature and its destruction would lead to disastrous socio-environmental implications.
He stressed that authorities should retreat from the move to hurt the agrarian culture ,snake boat race, rare metal mirror and age-old Krishna temple that Aranmula had been identified as a heritage villageby the United Nations Development Programme as well as the Union government.
He urged the government to withdraw the notification declaring Aranmula an industrial area and retreat from this suicidal act. He also cleared that SJM is not against progress or strong infrastructure necessary for the development of the State and nation, but we should also conserve and promote the priceless heritage of Aranmula in the form of wetlands, cottage industry of rare metal mirror, snake boat competition, old and famous Krishna temple and flora and fauna. It is necessary to mention that the only place of production of indigenous metal mirror is this village and the mud used in the process is only taken from this wet land. So the major motto is to conserve the rich ecosystem and the highly eco–friendly native culture.
At a time when this State in Western Ghats, the country in Uttrakhand and the world in so many places from Fukushima in Japan etc. are realising the follies of faulty development that such projects are taken up is a tragedy. So he reiterated that construction of airport at Aranmula is against law of the land as well as law of the Lord, against culture and agriculture, and destroy not only our age but also our precious heritage.
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