The Hindu : Karnataka / Hassan News : Trespassing cases booked against 91 Dalits of Gangooru

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 04, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Hassan

Trespassing cases booked against 91 Dalits of Gangooru

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, JULY 3. Trespassing cases have been booked against 91 Dalits of Gangooru village in Konanoor hobli of Arkalgud taluk in Hassan district by the police for refusing to vacate the Government land, where they had erected temporary sheds.

The Dalits of Gangooru are continuing their dharna for the ninth successive day.

While the Dalits of Gangooru are still trying hard for the withdrawal of cases booked against them for uprooting saplings planted by the forest department in the Reserve forest area a decade ago, fresh cases were booked against them on Friday.

The officials failed to break the impasse as the Dalits refused to vacate the land till their demands are met.

As the talks failed, the district authorities decided to use force to vacate the Government land.

Though the former Prime Minister and Hassan MP, H.D. Deve Gowda, had recently assured the Dalits to solve their problems, there has been no development in the direction of breaking the deadlock.

Tension prevailed in the Gangooru Reserve Forest area of Konanur hobli in Arkalgud taluk of Hassan district, with the Dalits determined against vacating the land till they were suitably compensated.

The Dalits, who were freed from bonded labour 10 years ago and were waiting for rehabilitation, had put up temporary sheds on the Government land.

The Forest Department had acquired the land in 1992 and the Dalits have been waiting for the sanction of land as compensation since then.

Frustrated with the apathy of the Government, the Dalits forcefully took over the land in the Forest area.

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Trespassing cases booked against 91 Dalits of Gangooru