Tribal people from Hunsur and H.D. Kote staged a dharna here on Monday, seeking the allotment of land and other facilities under the forest rights Act.
The protest was held in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office, under the banner of the ‘Budakattu Janara Hakkugala Rashtriya Vedike', as part of a Statewide agitation in support of their demands.
Over 250 tribal people, led by State president of the Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha Maruti Manpade and CITU secretary Varalakshmi, participated in the protest. They submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, to the Deputy Commissioner.
The protesters sought the restoration of forest rights to all Adivasis as per the Act.
The Government was accused of forcibly evicting forest-dwellers from Nagarahole National Park. “More than 75 per cent of the tribal communities have been evicted from the national park over the years. Although the Forest Rights Act was formulated in 2006, the State Government had failed to implement it or extend its benefits to the targeted people,” said the vedike, in the memorandum.
It drew attention to the widespread malnutrition in the tribal hamlets of Hunsur and H.D. Kote. Starvation deaths among the tribal people had been kept a secret, the vedike alleged.
All people of the communities should be provided Antyodaya ration cards, it demanded.
The group alleged that the people were subjected to bonded labour and exploitation.
The tribal people should get immediate loans from nationalised banks and other financial institutions to help them escape from the clutches of moneylenders, and the provision of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Atrocities Prevention Act should be implemented, the protesters asked.
They also sought financial assistance for unemployed youth of the community to take up employment. Schools, free education, and medical and health facilities should be provided in each hamlet, they said.
