Arippa protesters stage mass hunger strike over alleged corruption

The core of the current conflict involves the tree tax where families living in makeshift huts have been ordered to pay for the rubber and miscellaneous trees standing on their allotted plots. ADMS points out that most of these families are elderly, suffer from chronic illnesses, and have survived for over a decade in extreme poverty. They argue that these families cannot afford the payments and that the Revenue department is using these fees as a pretext to exclude the poorest protesters while clearing 45 acres of trees for the benefit of forest and timber syndicates.

Environmental concerns have also been raised, as the removal of these trees in an area already prone to water scarcity threatens to turn the region into a virtual desert. Protesters claim that the Revenue department is facilitating the felling of rubber and fruit trees to help the timber mafia, rather than protecting the livelihoods of the residents. Furthermore, the ADMS has called for a vigilance investigation into the matter as they believe the officials are prioritising the interests of the land and timber mafia over the constitutional rights of the Adivasi and Dalit communities.

Meanwhile, there are also allegations over land in the Yeroor and Aryankavu reserves. “As of February 24, 2026, roughly 100 acres of forest land and 62 hectares of former KIP land were due to be returned to the Forest department. However, the Revenue department is seizing this land to distribute it to the benamis of influential individuals and those who already own homes and land during the upcoming Pattayamela,” they said.