Over 150 families belonging to different nomadic communities, who have been living in settlements at Naubad area on the outskirts of Bidar for decades, are spending sleepless nights for the past 20 days. Some people, who claimed to own the land where their settlement is, are pressuring them to vacate, besides threatening to demolish their settlement using earthmovers.
“We have been living here for nearly 30 years. Now, with people claiming ownership of the land, we don’t know where to go,” an anxious Ganapathi, a 55-year-old soothsayer, told The Hindu .
The colony is inhabited by several nomadic communities, including Gosavi, Joshi, Gondali, Bail Pattar, Ghisadi, Sindhollu, Korava, Daraveshi, Mang Garudi and Golla. The inhabitants have diverse jobs, from selling utensils, basket weaving, fortunetelling, tools sharpening to rag picking. Children and old, over 180 and 30 in number respectively, mostly resort to begging in Bidar city.
“The living condition here at the settlement is terrible. They do not have access to basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets. These people go to nearby area with pots and beg for water for drinking and cooking,” said Harsha Kumar Kugwe, who is researching the nomadic community.
However, due to efforsts of Sharada Malage, who is working with the Department of Health and Family Welfare on a contract, the residents have got Aadhaar cards and caste certificates. However, they are not able to get Anna Bhagya ration, as their ration cards were suddenly cancelled. In many cases, their caste has been wrongly mentioned in caste certificates.
Ms. Malage, who spent time in the settlement, studying and surveying the residents, has submitted a report to the government, urging it to rehabilitate the nomads.
“The local MLA asked me to identify government land in the vicinity to relocate the nomadic communities in the settlement. However, I am neither the Deputy Commissioner or tahsildar to know the availability of government lands. It is their duty to find the land and relocate them,” Ms. Malage said. After much persuation, officials of the Social Welfare Department visited the spot and assured residents of making alternate arrangements. “But, nothing has progressed since. The officials don’t know who the actual owners of the land are,” she charged.
Deputy Commissioner H.R. Mahadev said the district administration could not prevent private parties from evicting people from their lands. He also said he had not received any report or complaint in this case.
