Koraga is the most primitive and aboriginal tribes of Dakshina Kannada district. Inspite of being the traditional dwellers of the region, the ownership of the land continues to be a distant dream for them.
There are 1,126 Koraga families in the district and the government has brought out several schemes to improve their condition. In spite of it, Koragas are the most backward, most neglected and most primitive living amidst abject poverty.
Koraga community members have been fighting for the title deeds for the land where they have been residing for the past 10 years. The assurances and the promises by the district administration have remained only on paper. It was Adivasi Shikshana kendra of Montepadavu which started demanding title deeds way back in 2001, to which the then Deputy Commissioner Ramana Reddy promised of title deeds. However, soon the DC was transferred and several new DCs were in charge of the district. And the files related to the title deeds for the Koragas continued to move from Deputy Commissioner’s office to Assistant Commissioner’s office to Tahsildar’s office without any progress.
Progress
On February 14, 2007, revenue officers meet was held in Mangalore. In which, the then Deputy Commissioner Maheshwar Rao had directed the officials to conduct a survey on Koraga community and submit a report to the DC within a month. In fact, the DC had directed the officials to take up a drive to issue title deeds on the land possessed by the Koraga community after the survey.
Based on a letter written by Jana Shikshana Trust Directors Sheena Shetty and Krishna Moolya urging the Chief Minister to initiate action to provide title deeds for the Koraga community, Chief Minister’s secretariat in its letter dated August 6, 2009, directed the Deputy Commissioner to initiate measure to distribute land documents to the Koragas.
The DC in turn had directed Assistant Commissioner and Tahsildars to take measures. Accordingly, Bantwal Tahsildar in a letter dated July 8, 2011 directed all the Revenue Inspectors of the taluk to make a list of landless Koraga families and also to take step to provide title deeds for the families who own land.
Speaking to City Herald, Jana Shikshana Trust Director Sheena Shetty said “there is a need to measure the land possessed by the Koraga community before issuing title deeds. The title deeds will give the members a security on the land which they have been residing. After issuing title deeds, the government can identify the available government land or can purchase land to rehabilitate those who do not possess any land. The documents were prepared for the title deeds for five families at Narenkodi in Bantwal taluk after the survey. But the families are yet to get the documents pertaining to their land,” he says.
Sundari of Kanyana who fought for the title deeds for several years, finally received title deeds for six cents land on which she has been residing. Now she has submitted a request to the authorities to issue title deeds for all the Koraga families residing in Bantwal taluk.
Kamala, another member of the community said “most of the Koraga families have land, but they do not possess title deeds. We have submitted memorandum to the District-in-Charge Minister to fix a date either on November 1 or on January 26 to distribute title deeds to the beneficiaries.”
Shetty said “nine Koraga families who were residing in forest area in Nettana received title deeds under Forest Rights Act as they had complained to the State Human Rights Commission in 2009.”
“Three families in Dindigere of Narikombu Gram Panchayat too received the title deeds. The possession of title deeds will help the family to develop land under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). They can grow vegetables, flowers, fruits and take up vermi compost units in their land.”
Officials speak
While Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda said the title deeds have already been given to 83 families in the district so far.
“As per the taluk office records, there are 73 families who do not have title deeds in the district. All the taluk offices have been directed the process the files at the earliest.”
Bantwal Tahsildar said: “We have taken up the process of identifying the Koraga families which do not possess title deeds for the land on which they have been residing. We will try our level best to issue title deeds at the earliest after submitting the proposal to the Deputy Commissioner.”