The High Court's full bench ruling that permission to build a house on paddy land should be given only to those who have acquired such land before the enactment of the Paddy Fields and Wetlands Protection Act of 2008 will have a huge social impact. The Paddy Protection Act came into force on August 12, 2008. The government began giving permission for five or ten cents of fields and wetlands for housing, hoping to provide relief to the poor who did not own land or houses. The essence of the present High Court judgment is that no concession should be given to those who have acquired such land after 2008.

There is no doubt that the law was brought with the good intention of protecting at least the remaining fields in Kerala as we have to depend on other states for all their food needs including rice.

The good intention is behind the government's decision to allow a small amount of land to build houses for the landless poor. As the price of land rises to unaffordable levels, the poor have to give up the desire to own a piece of land forever.

There are thousands of families living here without land to live on. The great concept of housing for all cannot be fulfilled by the government alone. If land is available anywhere at a low price, it should be encouraged to buy it and build a house. Its glory is enhanced when law and order are for human beings. Only a rational decision on this issue can be made, as the power to make laws and to amend them are vested with the government elected by the people.