Madikeri: The news that the Government is keen on finding a solution to the issue concerning Jamma Malai (Jamma is tenure and Malai is hill) in Kodagu should be welcome for its 65 holders in the district. According to sources, a high-level official meeting has been convened in Bangalore on Tuesday involving all concerned to hammer out a solution to the contentious issue.

Jamma Malais were the forestlands in hills given to certain families by the erstwhile rulers of Kodagu to cultivate cardamom only. The rights were continued by the British and followed even to this day. There was an extent of 13,736.80 acres of Jamma Malai land in Kodagu in 1900, and with the addition of 141.98 acres of land at Naladi village, it became 13,878.78 acres of land in 1910. But as the revenue was at fixed at Rs. 4.67 per acre of land by the Revenue Department, many families either surrendered or gave up cultivation of the Jamma Malai, leaving the final figure at 8450.49 acres of land.

The Jamma Malai holders are in six villages in the district. Kodava, Golla, Heggade and Amma Kodava communities are in possession of such lands. Many of them gave up cardamom cultivation as it did not give good returns. Some were interested in surrendering the Jamma Malai land in lieu of compensation.

The Government is now reportedly considering taking over the entire extent of Jamma Malai land by providing compensation to the holders.

Of the 8450.49 acres Jamma Malai land, 2599.17 acres of land is held by 17 holders in Yavakapadi village, 2527.10 acres of land by 21 holders in Naladi village, 1468.32 acres of land by three holders in Chelavara village, 770.13 acres of land by eight holders in Palangala village (only holding in Virajpet taluk), 730.65 acres of land by 12 holders in Aiyyangeri village and 355.12 acres of land by four holders in Karada village. According to Van Haeften, the British officer who surveyed the Jamma Malai land in 1935, of the 13,878.78 acres, 8649.93 acres of land was available and 5,228.85 acres of land was surrendered for various reasons. Some had surrendered Jamma Malai land as tax at the rate of Rs. 4.76 introduced between 1910 and 1935. Of the surrendered area, 4859.43 acres of land were found inside the forest area and the Forest Department is trying to ascertain what has happened to the remaining 369.42 acres of land in Chelavara village.

As per Van Haeften's findings, of the 8649.03 acres in forestlands, 8033.99 acres of land were found with the holders inside the forests and 615.94 acres of land with the revenue (outside forests) Jamma Malai holders. Of the revenue holders, 141.98 acres of land lay in Naladi village and 473.96 acres of land in Chelavara village.

Again, as per a recent survey, of the 8033.99 acres of land in forestlands, only 990.92 acres of land are being cultivated for cardamom and 7043.07 acres of land is not being cultivated. Interestingly, of the uncultivated or abandoned area, there are claimants for 6848.87 acres of land while there are no claimants for 194.20 acres of land, the sources said.

Many holders who did not pay taxes regularly had started paying it as the Government responded to the pleas of certain groups to provide compensation to the holders after cultivation had become difficult. Another interesting fact is that permission was granted by the Government, through the Forest Department, to the holders to fell trees on nine occasions between 1970 and 1980, and not afterwards. Four cases each were reported from Naladi and Chelavara villages and one from Karada village.

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