After a 62-year struggle, 114 Hakki Pikki and Iruliga tribals near Bannerghatta were distributed title deeds by Bengaluru Rural MP D.K. Suresh on the occasion of ‘International Indigenous People’s Day’ on August 12.
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Madhu Bhushan, from the Society for Informal Education and Development Studies (SIEDS), and Leo Saldhana, from Environment Support Group (ESG), said this marked a “historic moment” in the long struggle of the tribals for land, livelihood and dignity.
‘Callous bureaucrats’
In 1962, the nomadic Hakki Pikki tribe along with the forest dwelling Iruligas were granted 350 acres of land, denotified from the Ragihalli State Forest on the edges of the Bannerghatta National Park for their resettlement, after they were forcibly relocated from forests and displaced from their traditional livelihoods.
“But their relentless efforts to secure the land had been repeatedly frustrated by callous bureaucrats in both the Forest and the Revenue Departments, a lack of political will, and deliberate interference from vested interests who were attempting to break the community and seek control over the land,” said Ms. Bhushan.
“However, all this came to an end on August 12, when the MP distributed all the necessary revenue documents. including khata, mutation, land patta and pani, along with the title deeds to help secure their total rights over the land,” she said.
Mr. Saldhana said the Karnataka government’s gazette order denotifying the land for the specific purpose of rehabilitating the tribals remained on paper through the sixties. This was despite all the development work carried out to create a residential colony including construction of houses and an ashram school., he said.
Creation of national park
“Post the Wildlife Act of 1972 and the creation of the Bannerghatta National park in 1974, in its zeal to depopulate forests of people, the Forest Department even attempted to evict the community through brutal means and then subsequently by trying to entice them with alternative land. Both efforts were firmly resisted by the community which stood steadfast on its demand that they be given formal rights over the land they were originally resettled on,” he said.
“While distributing the title deeds, the MP promised the community that he would write to the Social Welfare Department to ensure that all help would be given to make the land truly a source of sustainable livelihood. His efforts are commendable,” he added.
