Karnataka   

Henchmen of quarry owner intimidate journalists

— PHOTO: SUDIPTO MONDAL

CORNERED: A team of journalists face a road blockade at Ulepady near Mangalore on Tuesday.

ULEPADY VILLAGE (MANGALORE): Even as you read this, the Koraga tribal people of this village are perhaps cowering with fear in their huts. While living in fear is not new to them, they are particularly scared after the events that unfolded on Tuesday when a team of journalists from the city visited them.

The primary source of their trepidation, Tuesday’s events notwithstanding, is a granite quarry in the vicinity. The residents, who live less than 50 metres away from the quarry, claim that a hail of shrapnel and rocks hits them every time the miners set off a blast. The team of journalists went to investigate this complaint.

The dwellers were narrating their woes to the journalists when trouble began. The media persons were busy talking to the residents and did not notice a group of people who descended on the scene. On seeing the intruders, the Koragas became silent.

It turned out that the intruders were sent by the quarry owners. This correspondent tried to talk to them but they avoided the questions and instead turned their ire on legal activist Dinesh Hegde Ulepady, who was accompanying the media team. “Why did you bring them (journalists) here? How much money do you want to keep quiet?” the leader of the group asked Mr. Ulepady.

When things threatened to go out of control, the rest of the journalists intervened and calmed things down. The gang retreated from the spot after threatening the Koragas.

Fearing that they would damage his vehicle on their way out, Mr. Ulepady followed the group, leaving the presspersons behind.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was alone the members of the group surrounded Mr. Ulepady. When this correspondent tried to take pictures of this scene, the leader of the group attacked him and tried to snatch the camera. Hearing the commotion, the rest of the journalists rushed to the scene forcing the assailants to flee.

Fearing further violence, the presspersons decided to leave the area only to find that their vehicle had a flat tyre and the road had been blocked by an earthmoving machine owned by a mining company.

The police, who reached the spot, were mute spectators to the blockade. The anti-social elements were still around. When the media team told the police about the intruders, the latter fled the spot. The police made no effort to chase or nab them, instead warned the Koragas.

Leaders of the Dalit Sanghrasha Samiti (Ambedkar Wada), including Ramesh Kotayan, who reached the spot a little later also turned their ire on the Koragas.

Over an hour after Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar and Inspector-General of Police A.M. Prasad and finally Home Minister V.S. Acharya were contacted, the police asked the quarry workers to lift the blockade. The Mulky police have registered a case of rioting, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly and illegal detention.

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