Photo: Damage to Kerala sex tourism hotel caused by the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army

By Kannan Krishnan

On the morning of January 15, members of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) attacked a hotel complex known for sex tourism in Attamala, located in district of Wayanad in the Indian state of Kerala. PLGA members smashed the windows and set fire to furniture in the newly constructed resort.

The attack was launched in response to the sexual exploitation of Adivasi (tribal indigenous) women by the resort management in 2019. Adivasi women were stranded at various places on the road near the resort and offered rice and food in return for being “sex tourism objects” by the resort owners. Large posters were left at the site of the attack signed by the Nadugani area committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) condemning the sexual exploitation of Adivasi women. One poster read “All resort owners who pose a threat to the peaceful existence of Adivasi women will be forcibly evicted.”

In recent years there have been several other actions against sex tourism hotels by the PLGA in Wayanad. In 2014 the Agraham resort in Thirunelli was attacked and in 2015 a government owned hotel came under attack in the same area. In 2019 the Upavan resort in Vythiri was also attacked.