JOIN USRamachandrapura: A fight to reclaim 'lost land'
The original inhabitants of the village are struggling to reconstruct their lives on land that belongs to them, but are frustrated in their attempts as all the land records were charred in the fire accident.
Ramachandrapura, which was largely inhabited by people belonging to backward classes, suffered the onslaught of plague nearly three-and-a-half decades ago. As the outbreak of plague took a heavy toll on people, the remaining residents fled the village.
However, Thimmarayappa and Yarappa refused to leave and continued to stay in their huts. Later, both of their huts caught fire and in the accident a two-and-a-half-year-old girl died. Fearing further wrath, Thimmarayappa and Yarappa migrated to nearby villages.
As people feared to set their foot in Ramachandrapura, the village wore a sepulchral look until 2003. With the gradual passage of time, Ramachandrapura was erased from the taluk’s map and from people’s collective memory.
However, since 2003, the original inhabitants of Ramachandrapura, who had settled in nearby villages, have begun to make inroads into their village considered as ‘lost’ and have erected huts in their land. Since all the land records were burnt in the fire accident, none of the original inhabitants possess any records that can authenticate their ownership.
Observing these developments and taking advantage of the situation, residents of nearby villages are encroaching the land in Ramachandrapura.
Moreover, taking advantage of the lack of ownership rights, several houses under various housing schemes have been constructed in the village. However, beneficiaries of these housing schemes are residents of Magondhi village and not the original inhabitants of Ramachandrapura.
The village which originally was spread across 30 guntas has now been reduced to a mere 20 guntas.
“We want to build our hearths and lives in the village that our ancestors belonged to. Even though the village lacks basic amenities and infrastructure, we shall continue our fight to regain our lost land,” said original inhabitants of Ramachandrapura.