Frustrated by social boycott and denial of farming land by taluk administration, around 19 families belonging to low caste have threatened mass suicide in Mayatammana Muchudi village of Shikaripur taluk on Wednesday.
A team of officials led by tahsildar Kaviraj destroyed crops grown by these families on 'bagair hukum' land using a tractor. Dejected over it, the families threatened that they would end their lives if farming land is not given to them. Later, the team returned fearing mass suicide.
The families have been cultivating 'bagair hukum' land bearing the survey number 128 for the past 40 years.
They had submitted applications seeking title deeds in 1991 but were denied land rights.
They alleged although they have been cultivating on two to three acres of land, the concerned officials allotted the land to all other families citing that it is revenue land.
A villager, Veeresh, said, "We are not allowed to work as daily wage workers in the village. Those who hire us are slapped a fine of Rs 25,000. People belonging to upper castes are allotted more than ten acres of land. But we are not allotted even a single acre of land. We too have the right to live on this earth.
"So, we must be allotted farming land to earn our livelihood. Tahsildar promised to resolve the issue after MP B Y Raghavendra returned to the taluk from Bengaluru. If we are not allotted land, we would end our lives together," he warned.
Published 16 June 2021, 17:54 IST