Scores of tribal families on an agitation in support of their demand for land allotment at Nagapura, on the fringes of Nagarahole National Park since two months, plan to intensify their agitation from April 14.
In all, about 300 tribal people are on a strike since January 26, 2018, at Nagapura and now they will shift the venue to the premises of the Forest Department office in Hunsur to draw the attention of the authorities.
The crux of the issue revolves around the allotment of five acres of land for each family relocated from the core area to the periphery as promised by the government. Though the order was issued in 1997, it is yet to be implemented. In all, 751 hectares of reserve forest, denotified for conversion into agricultural land to rehabilitate the tribal communities, has now been encroached upon, according to the community leader M.B. Prabhu, who is spearheading the agitation.
“It was the Forest Department which forced the families to abandon their traditional home land inside the core area of the tiger reserve and it is their job to ensure the promises are fulfilled,” said Mr. Prabhu. Hence, it had been decided to shift the venue of the protest from Nagapura haadi to the Forest Department office, he added.
The agitation which was launched on January 25 met with a partial success as the then Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep had intervened and passed instructions that the legitimate demands of the tribal families be complied with. But Mr. Prabhu had refused to withdraw the agitation until the oral assurance translated into some kind of action at the ground level and hence continued with the agitation.
“These are not new demands and are policy initiatives and orders passed by the government more than 20 years ago,” according to the agitating tribal families who wanted the rehabilitation process to be implemented in letter and spirit.
Though the Mysuru ZP CEO Shivashankar visited the hamlet and assured the tribal communities of fulfilling their demands Mr. Prabhu said he had no locus standi on land allotment though he issued directives to provide job cards under MNREGA and ensure water supply to the tribal hamlets.
Poll boycott not ruled out
Peeved by the ‘indifference’ of the authorities over the delay in meeting demands, tribal communities of Nagapura have not ruled out a boycott of the ensuing Assembly polls.
“The elections are still a month away and the authorities have plenty of time to complete the land survey and identify the extent of encroachment. There are other demands too that can be met during the interim period like ensuring water supply, issue job cards under MNREGA etc. If there is no progress, then the community may not rule out poll boycott,” cautioned Mr. Prabhu.
Meanwhile, the authorities plan to provide jobs to the tribal community members within the Nagapura haadi a week ahead of the polls so that they do not go to Kodagu in search of jobs.
A majority of the tribals are daily wagers employed in the coffee plantations and as per the ZP directives, jobs will be provided for a week to 10 days close to their hamlets so as to facilitate them to exercise their franchise. The labour contractors would also be kept at bay from Nagapura so that the tribals are not ferried for jobs at far away places.
