Farmers protest in Napoklu on Jamma land rights protection

Madikeri, Karnataka. Apr 3 (UNI) Farmers in Kodagu district held a protest rally at Napoklu, 29 km from here seeking restoration of rights of Jamma land to its owners.

District leaders who spoke at the rally lambasted the government for denying right over the Jamma land and refusal of permission to cut forests in such lands. He regretted that people of the district were being taken for granted by both the government and bureaucrats and wanted the rights to be restored. The Government, based on the recommendations of the Forest Department, had refused permission to cut trees in such community land.

Jammada Karumbaiah stated that though the entire state has similar land tenure, the government was altering rules pertaining to land in the district. He regretted that the erstwhile Chief Ministers also did not help Kodagu. He called upon the farmers to unite and stage protests, which was the only way to secure justice in the present situation.

The speakers also alleged that the government has said the problems of Kodagu should be decided only in the assembly, whereas, the farmers of Mandya lay siege to Vidhana Soudha and all their problems get solved in the yard of Vidhana Soudha. The Government was testing the patience of people of Kodagu they said.

They condemned the letter given to government by a group of environmentalists, saying the government was given a wrong picture of Kodagu being looted of its forest wealth. They also said that a former forest official had also misled the government to consider whole of Kodagu as forest area and that the district has to face these problems as the peoples representatives have failed utterly in discharging their responsibilities.

UNI