Politicians in Kerala town join hands against Reliance

The cacophony of discord is often a hallmark of politics, but if you travel to Mukkom you will be struck by an unusual show of harmony by various political outfits in Kerala in opposing a Reliance retail outlet.

In the heart of this small town Mukkom, about 600 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram in Kozhikode district, various political outfits in Kerala in opposing a Reliance retail outlet. One can see a thatched shed in front of a building where Reliance plans to open the outlet.
The shed has become a rallying point for those opposing "monopolies" and "the policy of globalisation" and is adorned with a bunch of flags representing almost all political outfits in the state.

The protest at Mukkom began seven months ago and soon became a popular movement in the area. The agitators had erected the shed in July to prevent the company from undertaking any work to open the outlet and are maintaining round-the-clock vigil at the site. A large crowd prevented the authorities from removing the shed on Nov 21.

The agitation here is being spearheaded by the Anti-Monopoly People's Movement (AMPM), which was floated in March 2007. "The agitation in Mukkom is the first organised resistance against the entry of retail giants in the country. It was our action that inspired those in Uttar Pradesh and Orissa to protest the retail companies," claimed A. Subair, one of the conveners of the AMPM and a district committee member of the youth wing of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).