Mysuru: Not satisfied with the state government’s offer of 30/30 feet sites for each family of tribals camping at Diddalli in Kodagu, tribal leader Muththamma, who had gone on a shocking nude march protest last month, warned that she would do it again if the government did not fulfil their demand for farmland and an end to bonded labour in Kodagu.
“We held a meeting of our Bhoomi Maththu Vasathi Horatagaararu organisation. We have decided not to accept sites unless we are given farmland too, and both should be at the same place. The government has to put an end to bonded labour in Kodagu. They should bring out all the tribals serving as bonded labourers, living in lines houses in plantations in Kodagu. Even yesterday we brought out two families from line houses with the support of police. They were facing a threat from owners of plantations that they shouldn't move out,” Muththamma said.
Also tribals at the tiny camp set up for them are reportedly getting sick. “At least 15 people have fallen sick and have been hospitalised due to diarrhoea and vomiting. But the government is still in the process of identifying land for us. We can’t continue in these conditions for long, more people are likely to fall sick,” she said.
As many as 577 families were evicted from the reserve forest and presently, there are 611 families. District incharge minister M.R. Seetharam had clarified that they would give land only to those who have documents to prove that they were from Kodagu. “The authorities have taken the photo copies of voter ID, Aadhaar card and ration card of the tribals camping at Diddalli, only 60 of us do not have records,” she said.
The Kodagu district administration has identified land at Basavanahalli and Rampura in Somwarpet taluk, and Kedamallur in Virajpet taluk where sites would be distributed on the basis of a lottery draw.
But Muththamma said, “We do not want land in Virajpet taluk, we want it either in Diddalli or in Siddapur, Polibetta, Chennaiahna Kote and Maldaare region so that it is convenient for us to work in plantations.”
