Diddalli row: Tribal leaders divided over rehabilitation

A day after the row relating to Diddalli tribals appeared to near end, tribal leaders were a divided lot. On Saturday, affected tribals were yet to decide on moving to the sites identified by the district administration.

Tribal leaders G K Mutthamma and G K Appaji fulminated both the activists and district administration for taking them for a ride. “Some of the activists are trying to divert the cause by themselves sending Swamy and Anita as representatives to the meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza at his office on Friday,” Mutthamma alleged.

“Nirvanappa, who is a self-declared convener of Bhoomi Matthu Vasati Hakku Vanchitara Horata Samiti, is also trying to mislead tribals, while advocate A K Subbaiah has asked the tribals to go by district administration’s words,” the leaders said.

The duo vouched to take the issue to none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with a delegation of displaced tribals, seeking his help in rehabilitating tribals at the Devamucchi forest area from where they were evicted.

Appaji recalled that Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa during his recent visit had promised to look into the chances of allotting five acres of land, if it was a forest area and two acres in the case of revenue land. “However, the district administration is trying to portray that all the affected dwellers are in sync with the decision to shift to other places, by summoning only two tribal leaders for the meeting.

The issue over the type of land, whether it is forest land or paisari, too remains to be settled,” he added.

Appaji also blamed former MLC and advocate A K Subbaiah, who was till recently voicing for the cause of tribals, of now trying to mislead the same tribals.

He insisted that none of the tribals had agreed to shift to the sites identified by the district administration. “Moreover, the district administration is hatching a plot to shift the tribals to temporary sheds, instead of building the house before rehabilitating the affected lot,” he complained.
DH News Service