The dissolution order, issued by the state’s Dairy Development Director, terminated the board that oversaw the regional union of the Kerala Co‑operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma). The Deputy Director of Dairy Development in Wayanad was named the union’s administrator pending further action.
The move coincided with Malabar Milma’s annual general body meeting, held at the Calicut Trade Centre. Members of the Kerala Karshaka Sangham, the state unit of the All‑India Kisan Sabha, marched to the venue, where police were deployed to maintain order. Outgoing board chairman K.S. Mani and former MLA K.P. Kunhammedkutty attended the meeting.
M. Mehboob, the Sangham’s state vice‑president, accused the V.D. Satheesan‑led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of colluding with the BJP to seize control of the cooperative sector. He called the dissolution a “mischievous act” and a “BJP‑UDF deal,” insisting that no irregularities had been reported in the union’s operations.
Inside the meeting hall, several delegates raised slogans in solidarity with the protesters outside, while activists outside continued to chant against the government’s decision.
A separate demonstration took place outside the office of the Deputy Director of Dairy Development. Kisan Sabha leader Sathyan Mokeri denounced the dissolution as an “anti‑democratic move with a political motive,” adding that no inquiry had been launched to investigate the alleged irregularities. CPI district secretary P. Gavas was among those present.
Malabar Milma is one of three regional unions under Milma in Kerala; the Thiruvananthapuram union was dissolved earlier under similar circumstances. The sudden removal of the board raises concerns among dairy farmers about the continuity of initiatives that had been aimed at improving their livelihoods.
The protests underscore growing political tension in the state’s cooperative sector, with farmer groups warning that the dissolution could destabilise dairy supply chains and erode confidence in cooperative governance.