TENS of thousands of people across Kerala have issued a strong warning to the union government, condemning its neglect of survivors of the devastating Mundakkai landslide in Wayanad. The protest, spearheaded by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), saw massive participation, including women, children, and individuals from all walks of life. Demonstrations were held statewide, including a big march to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram and rallies in various district headquarters.

In Kalpetta, survivors of the landslide joined the protests, voicing their frustration over the lack of adequate central assistance for rehabilitation efforts. Despite repeated pleas from the Kerala government, the union government has withheld necessary financial aid, and on top of that deducted Rs 153.47 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) as air bill charges for aircraft deployed during rescue operations. This action has provoked widespread anger and criticism from the public and state leaders.

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, while inaugurating the Raj Bhavan march, criticised the union government for failing to uphold its constitutional obligations. "Even after four months since the country's largest landslide disaster, the union government continues to ignore the gravity of the situation, dismissing it as the mere washing away of a few wards," he said.

The Kerala government has submitted a comprehensive rehabilitation plan requiring Rs 2,000 crore to support 2,000 affected families. A detailed memorandum was submitted to the union government, and Members of Parliament from both the LDF and UDF jointly met with the union home minister. However, BJP MPs were notably absent from this delegation. Govindan affirmed that Kerala would proceed with its rehabilitation plans, even if the union government refuses assistance.

Protest marches across the state were inaugurated by prominent leaders, including CPI(M) Polit Bureau member A Vijayaraghavan in Palakkad and LDF convener TP Ramakrishnan in Kollam. Senior leaders such as MV Jayarajan, PK Sreemathi, Elamaram Kareem, Mathew T Thomas, Prof. N Jayaraj, Prakash Babu, PC Chacko, KP Rajendran, Ahammed Devarkoil, and E Chandrasekharan also led marches in other districts.

The protests underscore Kerala's unified demand for justice and financial support from the centre, emphasizing the urgent need to rebuild the lives of those affected by the Mundakkai landslide tragedy.