Kochi | The relay hunger strike by families in Munambam here over land claimed by Waqf will conclude on November 30, their representatives said.
The Munambam Land Protection Council, which represents around 600 local families affected by the issue, said on Saturday that the protest is being called off following the recent Kerala High Court directive to the state government to accept land tax from them until the case is disposed of.
The agitation, staged at the premises of the Velankanni Matha Church in Munambam, has reached 413 days, council members said.
"The state government has assured that the remaining procedures, including those by the Revenue Department for granting possession of the land, will be completed soon. So we decided to end the protest for now," Joseph Rockey, a council member, told PTI.
However, he maintained that the agitation would resume if the assurances were not fulfilled.
"Last year, we did not celebrate Christmas or New Year due to the protest. We will wait for some time, and if the promises are not met, the agitation will be relaunched next year," he added.
Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev will attend the event marking the official conclusion of the protest on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, differences have emerged among the protestors over the decision to end the strike.
Another faction has decided to continue the agitation until full ownership of the land is ensured. One of its members, Philip, who opposes the decision to withdraw, told reporters that a new phase of protest will begin on Sunday.
"We have only been allowed to pay land tax temporarily. The core issue remains unresolved. We will continue until all our concerns are addressed," he said, adding that the fresh protest will not be held at the church premises.
The Munambam Land Protection Council, however, claimed that those continuing the agitation are linked with the BJP.
"We decided to end the strike after a core committee meeting. Those who say they will continue were never active in our protest," Rockey said.
The issue pertains to 404 acres of land in Munnambam, which was claimed as Waqf in recent years.
The government stopped accepting land tax from the families who were living on the disputed land
