Karnataka - Hassan   

Dalits stage novel protest at Gangooru

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, NOV. 25. Frustrated with the "apathy" of the district administration in sanctioning land promised to them when they were freed from bonded labour a decade ago, the Dalits of Gangooru village on Thursday started ploughing forest land, where they have been staging a dharna for 130 days.

Promise

The tahsildar of Arkalgud taluk and forest officials rushed to Gangooru to persuade them to stop ploughing the forest land, as it was against the law.

Speaking to The Hindu , the Assistant Commissioner, Sakleshpur, Ekroop Kaur, said that the Dalits stopped ploughing the land after the district administration promised to solve their problem soon.

Alternate land

She said that the Dalits were briefed about the efforts made by the district administration in identifying alternative land and about the proposal sent to the Government for the allotment of the same.

Refusing to disclose the area of land identified for the purpose, she said that the proposal was sent through the Deputy Commissioner and that they were waiting for the Government's concurrence.

Unperturbed by the threat of eviction by both the Forest and Revenue departments, 91 Dalits have been staging a dharna by erecting temporary sheds in the reserved forest land in Gangooru village demanding the sanction of alternative land in lieu of the land acquired by the Forest Department 12 years ago.

`Patience tested'

The Dalit leaders said that they had resorted to ploughing the land to draw the attention of the district administration, as their patience was being tested beyond the limit.

They said that the 25 Dalits, who were involved in ploughing the land, stopped after getting an "oral" assurance from the authorities of the Revenue Department.

They would meet the Deputy Commissioner to hasten the process, they added.

The Dalit leaders alleged that even the Social Welfare Department had failed to adopt a "fair" method in disbursing Rs. 9.5 lakhs sanctioned for their rehabilitation.

The department had failed to form a committee in accordance with the law to release funds for the purchase of cattle.

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