Mangalore: Forest inhabitant tribals seek rights over agricultural land; stage protest

Mangalore: Forest inhabitant tribals seek rights over agricultural land; stage protest

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 17, 2012: Members of the tribal community, under the aegis of Karnataka Aranya Moola Budakattugala Okkuta staged a protest in front of DC Office on December 17, Monday demanding rights over their agricultural land.
 
Addressing the protestors, Siddi Community leader Ramnath Siddi said that the tribal communities who have been living in the forests since years must not be evicted. He also demanded that the rights of the land be handed over to them.

 

He appealed to the authorities to consider the applications submitted by the tribals for agricultural land, as per the Forest Act of 2006. Though a total of 76 beneficiaries got the land in 2007 when Nagaraj Shetty was the district in-charge Minister, the rest 350 applications are pending, he added.

Ramnath siddi further even accused the forest department personnel of harassing tribal women.   He also urged the concerned authorities to investigate the mysterious death of two tribals namely Mahadev Babu Siddi of Beeragadde in Uttara Kannada district and Madavu Geetha Koraga of Puttur in Dakshina Kannada.

A memorandum in this regard was submitted to DC N Prakash. Union President M Sundar, Convener Sanjeeva Kodikal and district committee President Shashikala were present.