'Homeless' Balugodu tribals plan Diddalli model protest

Demanding permanent rehabilitation and agricultural land, tribals in Balugodu village have decided to stage protests on Diddalli model.

It could be recalled that after the homeless tribals in Diddalli staged stern protests in 2016, 500 families were provided houses near Kushalnagar. Now, the tribals in Balugodu have decided to emulate Diddalli victims.

Baludogu tribals said that they have been subject to harassment in coffee plantations. They are not willing to live in the line houses any more.

There has been no use in submitting memorandums to the district administration.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes district monitoring committee member Palani Prakash said that more than 50 families in Virajpet town, Arji, Balugodu and Perumbadi have been protesting for permanent houses.

He noted that out of 37 acres of government land in survey number 337/1, only two acres have been left after encroachment by influential people.

“Officials have turned a blind eye when the land was encroached and now they are clearing the huts constructed by poor homeless people. The fight will not stop”, he said.

An official stated that the protestors had put up huts on government land. They were told that the said land had been earmarked for a different purpose. However, the huts were not cleared by the protestors, who have continued to stage protests there.

Adivasigala Samanvata Samiti President Y K Ganesh said that the protest will continue till the houses are provided for the houseless tribals.